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France's Eric Perrot in action during the Men's 15 km endurance race of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Nove Misto Na Moravi. Libor Plíhal/CTK/dpa
Eric Perrot won the men's race and Julia Simon led a one-two with Oceane Michelon on the women's side as France ruled the last biathlon World Cup races before the Milan/Cortina Winter Olympics.
Perrot won the individual race on Thursday in Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic and was also unstoppable in Sunday's 15 kilometre mass start, shooting clean in both events and going top of the World Cup standings.
He won by 9 seconds from American Campbell Wright, who missed one target in the final shooting portion.
Sverre Dahlen Aspenes of Norway claimed a first career podium in third, 16.2 seconds off the pace, after hitting all 20 targets.
Perrot said: “A really good day. I was pushing really hard on myself to make a 20-out-of-20 again. It was a little bit tough in the beginning of the race on the tracks. Then it was better when I was alone and I could push hard."
Perrot underlined his status as a top contender for the February 6-22 Olympics and will go to Italy as World Cup leader, dethroning Italy's Tommaso Giacomel, who was 11th on Sunday, by 37 points.
"It is so great to be on top. I know the season is still long, because there are three more weeks coming after the Olympics. I know it is a good position to be in but I will also try to keep going on to keep this until the end," he said.
The women's mass start saw a battle between Italian Lisa Vittozzi and a quartet of French skiers.
Simon got a first victory since a suspension in connection with a criminal credit card fraud case when she won by half a second from Michelon and 2.7 seconds from Vittozzi.
All missed one target, and so did World Cup leader Lou Jeanmonnot who finished fourth. The fourth French, Camille Bened, was fifth with clean shooting.
The French women had also claimed a one-two from Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Jeanmonnot in the individual event on Friday.
The World Cup continues after the Olympics March 5-9 in Kontiolahti, Finland.
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France's Julia Simon competes the women's 7.5 km sprint race during the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding. Sven Hoppe/dpa
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