Clean shooting Denis Irodov of Russia doubled down on his individual youth with a win in the youth men 7.5 km sprint at the IBU Youth/Junior World Championships in Obertilliach, Austria. Also clean shooting Fabio Piller Cottrer of Italy was second, 21.2 seconds behind and Jan Gunka of Poland, with one miss, third, 27.9 seconds behind. Earlier in the day fast skiing Lena Repinc of Slovenia, with one miss in the prone, won in a high drama youth women 6km sprint. Linda Zingerle of Italy, also with one miss in the prone, was second 5.2 seconds back and clean shooting Selina Grotian of Germany third, 11.6 seconds behind Repinc.

Irodov’s second win in Obertilliach

Starting very fast with a bib number 30 Denis Irodov never looked back as he cruised through the course and cleared all ten targets; he is yet to miss a target at this world championships. He was the fastest after both, prone and standing shooting.This is his and Russia’s second gold in Obertilliach. Piller Cotter started slower in the first lap but then clocked the fastest and fifth fastest time in laps two and three. Gunka started as the last in field with bib number 112, missed once in the prone, was fourth after the standings shooting, 8.5 seconds behind at that time third Oscar Andersson of Sweden. Gunka then had third fastest time in the last lap, skiing 13.5 seconds faster than Andersson, who finished fourth, 32.9 second behind Irodov. Fifth was Marcin Zawol of Poland with two misses and 37.9 seconds back and sixth Erik Larsson of Sweden with two misses and 48.2 seconds behind the winner from Russia.

“I really didn’t expect to win for the second time. After the last top result I was worried today. I had a long zeroing, everything was not in place before the start. But once I stepped on the track, it settled down and I showed my result!,” said the winner Irodov.

Repinc won a great skiing battle with Zingerle

Repinc and Zingerle both missed in the prone but with the smooth-skiing Italian faster in the opening lap, she was 7.4 seconds ahead with Grotian further 2.3 seconds behind Repinc. Repinc, wearing bib number 6, stepped up her skiing speed in the second lap and after she and Zingerle, wearing bib number 25, both cleared all five targets in standing shooting the Italian was just one second behind. Repinc had a small stumble just before she crossed the finish line but she still prevailed at the end. Grotian, wearing bib number 22, put in a superb skiing performance in the final lap, cutting Repinc’s lead after the standing shooting from 22.7 seconds to 11.6 at the end; Grotian also clocked the fastest skiing time in the last lap. France's clean shooting Fany Bertrand (14.2 seconds behind Repinc) and Maya Cloetens (19. seconds behind) were fourth and fifth whereas Kaja Zorc of Slovenia, with one miss, was sixth, 36.7 seconds behind the winner.

"It is simply incredible, it was such a tight race. I am still processing what happened," said the winner Repinc.

Photo: IBU/Bjorn Reichert