Biathlon Wolrd Cup 2016 (stage 5) - Women's 12,5km Mass Start race

BMW IBU Biathlon Wolrd Cup 2016 (stage 5) - Women's 12,5km Mass Start Race
16.01.2016, Ruhpolding

Snowy Mass Start: Victory Number 10 for Soukalova

Clean Shooting
Clean-shooting Gabriela Soukalova of Czech Republic claimed her 10th World Cup victory by taking today's very snowy mass start in 41:13.2. Germany's Franziska Hildebrand, with one penalty and Laura Dahlmeier, with two penalties, finished second and third, 13.9 and 24.4 seconds back, respectively.

Fourth went to Norway's Tiril Eckhoff, with two penalties, 32.2 seconds back. Germany's Maren Hammerschmidt was fifth, also with two penalties, 37.9 seconds back. Nadezhda Skardino of Belarus, with a single penalty finished sixth, 40 seconds back.

SNOW!

All night snow turned into even more snow this morning; making this really the first competition of the year in full-blown winter conditions. The snow got heavier as the start approached with the tracks deepening with each minute.

Five Women

The first loop conditions kept everyone together. Even with some left to right wind, 16 women shot clean in the first prone. Canada's Rosanna Crawford led the pack back out on the tracks. The second prone saw 14 women hit the mats almost simultaneously; five got up ahead of the rest, led by Ukraine's Juliya Dzhyma with Dorin Habert just behind. As they toured the next 2.5K, the French star pulled away.

Setting up for the first standing, Dorin Habert had about 6 seconds on the next four. However she missed the first shot, as did Dahlmeier and Dzhyma. Hildebrand and Soukalova stayed clean and took the lead, but just 4.6 seconds ahead of Dorin Habert.

Soukalova Cleans Last Standing

Coming to the last standing, these three were about 27 seconds ahead of the rest of the field, with Dorin Habert in the lead. She had four penalties and was out of the chase. Hildebrand had a single penalty but Soukalova cleaned and went out in the lead, with a 22 second lead over Hildebrand with Hammerschmidt, Skardino and Dahlmeier chasing, but Eckhoff closing on the top six. Hildebrand was closing on Soukalova over the whole loop, but did not have quite enough to catch her. Soukalova slowed down in the home stretch and enjoyed the crowd's cheers, pumping her ski poles in victory.

Czech Fans and Family

She commented on the last hundred meters. "I could hear all of the Czech fans cheering for me and it felt a lot like Nove Mesto...It is so great to win today; I had a lot of my family here...This is awesome-I do not know what to say. I felt really tired after the last competition and thought I needed rest. I did not believe in victory today."
Soukalova was one of the last to get to the start. "That is okay for me. It keeps me relaxed to come at the last minute."

Lucky When It Snows

As for the heavy snow, she thought back, "I have a lot of memories of Slovenia a few years ago when it was like this. I think it is lucky for me when it snows. It was lucky!"

Hildebrand benefited from Dorin Habert's penalties. "I was lucky, too."

Penalty Loop

Dahlmeier was disappointed with her last standing penalty. "That penalty loop was the worst part of my day...I came out and saw Tiril behind me; I know she can do a fast last loop. I tried to go as fast as possible and passed Maren."

Видео Biathlon Wolrd Cup 2016 (stage 5) - Women's 12,5km Mass Start race канала International Biathlon Union