Tereza Vobornikova came to the last standing stage of City Biathlon Dresden a step behind Lisa Vittozzi. The Czech star cleaned her fourth consecutive stage, the Italian missed three times and Vobornikova ran to an uncontested 31:50.6 victory in the women’s 11.5 km mass start, her first win in a major summer event. Just after the women’s competition, Justus Strelow cleaned the last standing, skiing powerfully in the last loop, winning the men’s 13.8 km mass start with two penalties in 33:36, his first win in a major summer event like Vobornikova.

Defending men’s champion Eric Perrot, with three penalties finished second, three seconds back. 36-year-old Lukas Hofer matched Perrot on the range, finishing third, just .5 seconds behind last year’s World Cup Total Score winner.

Anna Gandler, with a fast last loop, finished second among the women, with four penalties, 12.2 seconds back. Vittozzi, with six penalties, finished third, with five penalties, 17 seconds back.

Women’s Mass Start

Vittozzi controlled the women’s competition early despite a penalty in the first prone. Janina Hettich-Walz and Gandler stayed in the mix with solid prone stages, while Vobornikova lurked near the front, but never leading through the prone stages.

Standing changed the front group with Vobornikoa and Hettich-Walz cleaning the first stage for the lead. By the second standing, Vittozzi was back in front. The last standing proved decisive as the Czech star cleaned her fourth stage, while Vittozzi uncharacteristically missed her three final shots, giving the Olympic Mass Start Bronze medallist a 22-second gap that she held through the finish. Gandler powered around the last loop, getting ahead of Vittozzi for second.

Strelow Takes Men’s Title

Vitalii Mandzyn set the tone in the early stages of the men’s mass start, cleaning the second prone and first standing stage. Although the Ukrainian was in the lead, seven men remained within 10 seconds going into the fourth standing stage. Perrot then took over, going 5-for-5, leaving with a half-step gap on Strelow. The German sharpshooter set the pace into the fifth standing, cooly cleaning once again, as Perrot went to the penalty loop. With a 10.9-second lead going into the final loop, Strelow held on for the victory; the seven seconds Perrot closed in the last loop were not enough to secure a second win at Dresden. Photos: IBU/Yevenko