France’s Eric Perrot battled with Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel through this afternoon’s BMW IBU World Championships 20 km Individual, trading the lead several times until Perrot pulled away after cleaning the last standing for a 47:58.1 victory. The young French star’s first standing penalty gave the Italian an edge, but he relinquished it with a last standing stage penalty, while Perrot skied to his first-ever IBU WCH individual Gold medal.

“Amazing…to succeed…at the right time”

The 23-year-old’s second Gold medal of these Championships, after Mixed Relay Gold was particularly satisfying. “It is amazing. I have been working for it every day like everyone here was. To succeed in the race at the right time, doing the right job is amazing!”

“Focus on what you are doing now”

He was unfazed by the first standing stage penalty, staying focused. “I tried to not think too much about it, because the race is long and you can think about so many things. I think the key is to focus on what you are doing right now. I was trying to focus on my skis, still believe in it (the victory), of course. Because I raced early and was in a top position, I knew I was fighting for something big and trying to continue my work.”

Giacomel, also with one penalty won the Silver medal, the first in the Individual in 32 years, 52.4 seconds back, his first IBU WCH individual medal after two near-miss 5th places in last weekend’s Sprint and Pursuit. Perrot’s teammate Quentin Fillon Maillet with a brilliant day on the tracks, despite three one-minute penalties won the Bronze medal, 1:59.5 back. Fillon Maillet’s second medal in Lenzerheide gave him a full collection of IBU WCH medals, with at least one in each of the seven disciplines.

Finland’s Ollie Hiidensalo shot clean, finishing in a career-best fourth place, 2:14.9 back. Switzerland’s Niklas Hartweg, with two penalties, finished fifth, 2:15.5 back. Slovenia’s Jakov Fak, with one penalty finished sixth, 2:18.8 back.

Another sunny, almost spring-like day but with a moderate shooting range wind that made shooting well a tricky proposition.

Photos: IBU/ Vianney Thibaut, Nordic Focus