With sunshine and -10 degrees Celsius at the start of the women’s short individual in Brezno-Osrblie, the conditions called for a fast competition. Germany’s Janina Hettich closed all 20 targets completing the 12.5 km course in 35:26.6 for the win. On the men’s side it was Norway’s 21-year old Vetle Paulsen with two penalties claimed the win in 36:35 for his first-ever senior podium.

Women's short individual

Despite one standing penalty Russia’s Evgeniia Burtasova finished second, 41.8 seconds back. Third place went to Norway’s clean-shooting Marthe Krakstad Johansen, 54.7 seconds back.

From Oberhof disaster to IBU Cup win

Having competed last week in the BMW World Cup in Oberhof, Hettich was considered one of the favourites for today’s short individual. Closing all five targets in the first prone confirmed that she would be running for the highest place. Although her closest competitors were faster pushing the German to fourth, 11.1 seconds behind the leading Natalia Gerbulova after the first prone, she maintained her focus throughout the competition. While Sweden’s Sara Andersson was in the lead entering the first standing stage, one miss opened the door for Hettich to climb a spot. Third after her clean standing, she left the shooting range 24.4 seconds behind Russia’s Evgeniya Burtasova who, after closing all the targets for the second time, took the lead. 

With Burtasova setting the pace, Hettich took back a place by the start the second prone stage. The Russian in the lead and German in second, 12.1 seconds behind just before the last standing, the win would be determined by the result of the final standing stage. Wearing bib 40 and knowing beforehand that the early-starter Hettich had completed the final shooting round with a clean record, Burtasova had to clean to take the win. However, she crumbled under the pressure collecting one 45 additional penalty seconds, the door opened for Hettich to claim the win leaving Burtasova settle for second. 

Fight for third place

Hettich and Burtasova were far ahead, so attrention turned to the fight for the last spot of the podium. While Sweden’s Sara Andersson was in third upon arrival at the standing stage, her second penalty of the day cost her the podium while Norway’s Johansen managed to keep the focus throughout all four shooting rounds closing all 20 targets. Although also clean, Austria’s Kristina Oberthaler wasn’t a match for Johansen’s ski speed giving the Norwegian securing a third place. 

Oberthaler took the fourth place, 1:07.6 back. Andersson after her two penalties fifth, 1:09 back and Germany’s clean-shooting Mareike Braun completed the flower ceremony finishing in sixth, 1:15.6 behind her winning teammate. 

Men’s short individual

Being a late starter, Paulsen had the advantage of knowing what the other competitors before him did. He turned that into a win leaving his clean-shooting teammate Martin Femsteinevik to settle with the second place, 5.9 seconds back. Justus Strelow of Germany missed twice claiming the third place, 13.4 seconds back. 

First ever-senior win for Paulsen 

Starting with bib 106, Paulsen had a clear view of what has happened throughout the competition. Knowing his teammates are among the strongest, he assumed that they would be his main rivals. While Endre Stroemsheim was the fastest to complete the first shooting, Paulsen cleared as well taking the second place, just one second behind his teammate proving that he is worth keeping an eye on. But Vasilii Tomshin had his eyes on the prize as well. Closing all targets in the first prone, he placed third, 7.4 seconds behind Stroemsheim. Strelow, however, earned a penalty adding 45 seconds to his time pushing him down to the 48th position after the first prone. Femsteinevik cleaned moving to 18th for the moment. 

With Stroemsheim and Paulsen setting the pace the duo entered the first standing stage in first and second. While Stroemsheim had gained speed, Paulsen picked up seconds - now it was 10.3 seconds in between the two. Stroemsheim managed to pull off another clean round whereas Paulsen earned 45 seconds additional time dropping to eighth. By the end of the first standing round Stroemsheim held a strong 28-second lead over France’s Martin Bourgeois Republique who was second at the time being. Femsteinevik entered the first standing in 21st position, but by closing all the targets climbed up to the sixth place. Strelow after another miss, dropped to 36th. 

Already almost a minute ahead of the French athlete, Stroemsheim had room for one mistake in the second prone stage to maintain the winning position. Exactly that happened. Stroemsheim missed once, but as the advantage over the others was big enough that he kept the lead. Paulsen added another penalty to his score dropping to tenth. Femsteinevik closed all the targets once again climbing now up to the third position. Strelow corrected the mistakes from the first two rounds. Cleaning the second prone, the German was 17th. But with two more loops to ski and one more shooting round to conquer, the final game was yet to come. 

Stroemsheim's mistakes paved the way for Paulsen

Upon arrival to the final standing stage the day, Stroemsheim held a 40 second lead over Russia’s Dmitrii Ivanov and had more than a minute lead ahead Paulsen. Paulsen already knew that Storemsheim lost his chance for the win by missing twice in the last standing round, he was aware that only a clean shooting would him in the game. Strelow, Femsteinevik and Paulsen all managed to avoid penalties in the last standing stage pushing Femsteinevik to the lead. Paulsen was second, just .2 seconds behind. Pushing hard on the last loop, Paulsen passed Femsteinevik claiming his first-ever senior win. Femsteinevik came in second, Strelow claimed the third place. 

Stroemsheim after his three misses, but being undoubtedly the fastest man of the day, still finished in fourth, 14 seconds back. Tomas Krupcik of Czech Republic closed all 20 targets claiming fifth place, 18.4 seconds back. After missing twice today and arriving to the finish 20.1 seconds later than Paulsen, Russia’s Vasilii Tomshin took sixth place. 

Photos: Igor Stancik / IBU