Russia solidifies lead in biathlon at world cup

Russian athletes topped the rankings in four out of six categories to solidify their overall lead in the 2012-13 IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup. 17 Dec 2012

Russia dominated the biathlon races at the 2012-13 IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup in Vuokatti, Finland.

ⒸArja Korhonen

By IPC

Click here for full results.

Russia again dominated the biathlon races at the IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup in Vuokatti, Finland from 14-18 December. The nation topped the rankings in all the men’s biathlon events, as well as the women’s biathlon visually impaired events.

Russia is ranked first for biathlon with 2943 points. Ukraine is second with 1881 points and Japan in third with 441 points.

The overall Nordic skiing rankings show that Russia has a healthy lead with 5898 points. Ukraine is also well ahead with 3114 points. A battle is likely to ensue, however, for the third place between Germany (895 points) and Belarus (830 points).

Russia’s Irek Zaripov topped the men’s biathlon sitting rankings with 180 points after winning the 7.5km biathlon short distance and coming second in the 12.5km biathlon pursuit. Japan’s Kozo Kubo was close behind with 160 points after winning the pursuit and taking bronze in the short distance biathlon. Ukraine’s Maksym Yarovyi is ranked third.

In the men’s standing, Russia’s Azat Karachurin dominated the rankings with 200 points, having won both races. Ukraine’s Ihor Reptyukh has 130 points, while Russia’s Aleksandr Iaremchuk is on 125 points.

Russia’s Nikolay Polukhin also won both races, to soar to 200 points. Ukraine’s Vitaliy Lukyanenko placed second in both races and now has 160 points. Teammate Iurii Utkin is ranked third with 120 points.

Mikhalina Lysova of Russia topped the rankings in the women’s visually impaired event with 200 points after winning both races. Her teammates Iuliia Budaleeva and Elena Remizova are ranked joint second with 140 points. Budaleeva took second place in the short distance and third in the pursuit, whilst Remizova came third and second respectively.

Ukraine’s Olena Iurkovska and Lyudmyla Pavlenko are ranked joint-first in the women’s sitting biathlon, after Iurkovska came first in the short distance and second in the pursuit, with Pavlenko taking second and first place respectively. Germany’s Andrea Eskau is ranked third on 120 points after coming third in both races.

Topping the rankings in the women’s standing biathlon is Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova with 200 points after winning both races. Finland’s Maija Jarvela is ranked second with 140 points, and Russia’s Anna Milenina is close behind with 130 points.

Polukhin and Azhat jointly lead the men’s rankings, whilst Kononova and Lysova lead the women’s, all with 200 points.

For full results, please go to http://www.paralympic.org/NordicSkiing/Calendar.

The 2012-13 IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup continues in Cable, Wisconsin, USA, with cross country events from 12-16 January and biathlon from 17-20 January 2013.