Kononova, Wicker take biathlon World Cup titles

The battle for the men’s sitting title heated up after a race victory for Germany’s world champion Martin Fleig.

Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova and Germany’s Anja Wicker secured their places at the top of the Para biathlon World Cup leaderboard in Sapporo, Japan, on Tuesday (21 March).

Winning in the middle distance, multiple world and Paralympic champion Kononova added to her overall women’s cross-country skiing standing World Cup title.

Despite dropping two shots, the Ukrainian skied across the finish line in first with a time of 29:15.9.

In doing so, Kononova claimed victory in the race and World Cup over two of her teammates. Iryna Bui (31:11.8) and Liudmyla Liashenko (31:42.0) were second and third respectively on Tuesday.

Liashenko confirmed the runner-up position in the rankings, whilst Bui will try to seal third in the final race of the season on Wednesday (22 March).

A third place finish on Tuesday was enough for Wicker (36:41.8) to take the women’s sitting World Cup crown.

The German Individual world champion reclaimed her title from 2014-15 ahead of two more of the world’s most in-form athletes.

The USA’s sprint world title holder Oksana Masters (34:45.4) topped the race podium, ahead of Germany’s multiple world and Paralympic champion Andrea Eskau (35:29.3) in second.

Whilst Wicker is out of reach at the top of the standings, the second and third places will be decided between Masters and Eskau on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s Oksana Shyshkova kept her winning form in the women’s visually impaired with guide Volodymyr Ivanov.

The Worlds silver medallist had nothing to lose as the confirmed World Cup winner going into the penultimate race of the season. Dropping just one shot, Shyshkova led the field in 31:31.7.

Germany’s Clara Klug (32:55.8) matched her rival’s performance on the shooting range but finished second with guide Florian Grimm.

Shyshkova’s teammate Olga Prylutska (37:43.2) and guide Dmytro Artomin were third.

Prylutska moved to second in the rankings, just five points ahead of third placed Klug.

France’s Worlds silver medallist Benjamin Daviet (30:13.5) raced to his sixth World Cup win in the men’s standing. Having already secured the title with a double victory in PyeongChang, South Korea, last week, Daviet showed no signs of slowing down.

Canada’s Mark Arendz (30:31.2) dropped just one shot to claim second. Norway’s Nils-Erik Ulset (30:44.4) was third.

Just 10 points separate Ulset and Arendz, both behind Daviet in the World Cup table.

The battle for the men’s sitting title heated up after a race victory for Germany’s world champion Martin Fleig (39:10.5).

He now leads Taras Rad (39:50.6) in the World Cup by 70 points, with the Ukrainian finishing second on Tuesday.

Norway’s Trygve Steinar Larsen (40:54.3) was third.

Ukraine’s world champion Iurii Utkin (32:14.1) jumped to the top of the men’s visually impaired table with a win guided by Ruslan Perekhoda.

Utkin led an all-Ukrainian top three with Oleksandr Kazik (33:27.3) and guide Sergiy Kucheryaviy second. Dmytro Suiarko (33:51.5), guided by Ivan Marchyshak, was third.

The sprint biathlon, the final World Cup race of the season, will be contested on Wednesday.

Full results and rankings can be viewed at World Para Nordic Skiing’s website.