First-ever Victory for Lena Haecki-Gross
Switzerland’s Lena Haecki-Gross, after a career-best second place in the Hochfilzen pursuit last month went one step higher on the podium today, shooting clean for her first-ever victory in the Antholz Women’s 12.5 km Short Individual. Although others were ahead of her after the first three shooting stages, Haecki-Gross set up her victory, going to a perfect 20-for-20 when she cleaned the last standing stage, skiing to a 36:49 victory. Her win was the first BMW IBU World Cup victory for the Swiss women’s team.
First Victory, “an amazing feeling”
The first-time winner bubbled with joy, trying to explain how it feels to be a World Cup winner. “It just feels amazing. I can’t describe it. It is the best feeling ever! I think I knew I had it in me, but I wouldn’t believe it, that I could do it. It is such an amazing feeling to know that I did it in an individual.”
“It just kind of happened!”
She admitted shooting clean in Antholz’s thin air on a windy day was tough/ “We had a pretty good zeroing and knew what we needed to do with that wind. I did go into the shooting range with good self-confidence that I knew I could do it. In the last shooting, I just concentrated on the technical side. I knew I could not think about ‘what if I hit the targets.’ So, I just concentrated on myself and my job that I was doing. It just kind of happened!”
France’s Julia Simon, skiing well throughout the whole competition left the last standing stage in fifth position but flew around the last loop to finish second, with two penalties, 20.2 seconds back. Her teammate Lou Jeanmonnot, in the lead after the first two stages, missed a shot in the second prone but rebounded with a perfect last standing stage to finish third, 31.4 seconds back.
Germany’s Vanessa Voigt also shot clean, but finished fourth, 37.2 seconds back. Norwegians Juni Arnekleiv and Karoline Offigstad Knotten, both with a single penalty finished fifth and sixth, 41.1 and 53.2 seconds back, respectively.
Tandrevold in Yellow
Ingrid landmark Tandrevold finished 12th today, but remains in the Yellow Bib, with 695 points to Justine Braisaz-Bouchet in second with 657 points.
Sunny, Windy
Today was the opposite of yesterday, beautiful bluebird skies replaced the fog but a strong wind swirled on the range, as well as out on the tracks. Haecki-Gross cleaned the first prone but Simon and then Jeanmonnot matched, going 1-2. The first standing was a carbon copy for Haecki-Gross, but Jeanmonnot shot faster again, staying on top.
2024 BMW IBU World Cup 6 Antholz Women's 12.5 km Short Individual
Last Standing Seals Win
The Swiss biathlete cleaned the second prone, while Jeanmonnot missed a shot, falling to 7th with Simon 5th. The last standing stage sealed the win when Haecki-Gross cleaned ahead of Jeanmonnot. Simon missed a shot, leaving fifth but flew around the last 2.5 km loop to finish second pushing Jeanmonnot to third. Photos: IBU/Vianney Thibaut, Nordic Focus
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