Clean-shooting Davidova wins Kontiolahti Sprint
Czechia’s Marketa Davidova came to the standing stage of this evening’s Kontiolahti Women’s 7.5 km Sprint in seventh 24.8 seconds from the lead, but steadily closed the five targets, leaving first. From that point, the 27-year-old went unchallenged to a 20:39.7 victory.
“I almost forgot how it (the podium) is”
Davidova’s win today, her first since taking the Oestersund 15 km Individual just over three years ago, two years since her last podium, was extremely meaningful. “It is incredible. I think it was like two years since I was on the podium; I almost forgot how it is. It is really good, and I am really happy.”
“Figured I would be 10th or something”
Wearing bib 24, Davidova had to wait for the rest of the field before confirming her win. “I was not checking, because I knew all the great athletes were more in the end. I figured I would probably be 10th place or something.” After two seasons struggling to get a podium, she admitted the win, “is really special. I think I am not able to think about it (the win) now, but tomorrow it will be like it really happened.”
Elvira in Yellow
Sweden’s Elvira Oeberg, on fire in the last loop, after missing two standing shots, moved from ninth to second place, 8.8 seconds back. With second place, Elvira moved into the Yellow Bib for tomorrow’s mass start.
Minkkinen’s “amazing feeling”
The home team’s Suvi Minkkinen improved her personal best from 8th in the 2023 IBU World Championships 15 km Individual, shooting clean for third place, her first-ever podium, 11.9 seconds back. She called the podium in her home stadium, “unbelievable. It is an amazing feeling. The fans were really loud…I think I was able to give my all skiing…This is my 8th World Cup season; (the podium) better late than never!”
Germany’s Franziska Preuss also shot clean finishing fourth, 4 seconds back. Norway’s Karoline Offigstad Knotten shot clean in fifth, 15.3 seconds back.
Big PR for Tannheimer
Germany’s 19-year-old sensation Julia Tannheimer finished sixth, upping her personal best from 15th in the 2024 Ruhpolding Sprint to her first-ever Flower Ceremony, 21.1 seconds back. After five penalties in the short individual, Tannheimer shot clean today, “After the individual I had a little talk with my trainer; he gave me a tip for prone shooting. I did it really well in training yesterday, gained a little bit of confidence and today it all worked out pretty good…I never imagined that it would work out so well today.”
202425 BMW IBU World Cup 1 Kontiolahti Women's 7.5 km Sprint
Like the men’s sprint, a mild -2C prevailed, with light wind. Davidova cleaned prone, did the same in standing and was never topped. She started the day with a clean prone, but trailed Elvira by 12 seconds. Davidova went to 10-for-10 in standing, jumping to first. Minkkinen matched moving to second. Elvira’s two standing missed dropping her to ninth, but she flew in the last loop, jumping to second.
Photos: IBU/Romans Koksarovs, Nordic Focus/Leo Authamayou
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