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Norway's Maren Kirkeeide crosses the finish line to win the women's 12.5 km mass start race at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Le Grand Bornand. Olivier Chassignole/AFP/dpa
Norwegian biathlete Maren Kirkeeide held her nerve in a sprint finish to win a maiden World Cup race in the women's mass start at Le Grand Bornand in France on Sunday.
France's Camille Bened was the only skier to shoot clean, but she faded while leading on the final lap of the 12.5 kilometre race as she also sought a first World Cup success.
Kirkeeide sped past her, as did French duo Lou Jeanmonnot and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet. The home crowd roared on the pair but Kirkeeide held on at the line.
"I heard Justine behind me and I was thinking this was going to be hard, but I had to try," Kirkeeide said. "They were getting closer to catching me. I had to give it a shot. It worked this time."
Standings leader Jeanmonnot, who took second ahead of Braisaz-Bouchet after both missed a target like Kirkeeide, saw success in Saturday's pursuit after Sweden's Hanna Öberg took Thursday's sprint.
Defending World Cup champion Franziska Preuss of Germany was returning from coronavirus at the French event and placed sixth as she builds up her strength ahead of February's Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina.
In the men's mass start over 15km, Italian Tommaso Giacomel followed up sprint victory this month in Hochfilzen with a third World Cup triumph.
He is finding form at the perfect time ahead of a home Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina in February.
He had one miss early but completed the course in 33 minutes 35.1 seconds, 18.1 ahead of crowd favourite Eric Perrot who shot clean. Norway's Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, who had won the sprint on Friday, finished third despite two misses.
World Cup leader Johan-Olav Botn was fifth after failing to hit two targets.
The biathlon World Cup returns on January 8 in Oberhof in Germany.
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(L-R) Second-placed Frenchwoman Lou Jeanmonnot, first-placed Norwegian Maren Kirkeeide and third-placed Frenchwoman Justine Braisaz-Bouchet celebrate on the podium after the women's 12.5 km mass start race at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Le Grand Bornand. Olivier Chassignole/AFP/dpa
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