In the mass start 60, the athletes had to brave the wind and snow. Sara Andersson from Sweden and Kasper Kalkenberg from Norway managed this best.

Sara Andersson was one of the few athletes to hit all the targets in the fourth shooting in windy conditions. She was the first to go into the final lap and celebrated the world championship title at the finish. After a difficult season in which she was repeatedly slowed down by illness, it is a wonderful gift to celebrate the world championship title in her home stadium.

Anaelle Bondoux from France has also been battling illness this season. After disappointing races at the start of the World Championships, she could hardly believe at the finish that she had managed to win a medal after all. With just two misses, she was one of the best athletes at the shooting range on the day and was 13 seconds behind Andersson. Oleksandra Merkushyna won the bronze medal for Ukraine and thus the first medal for her country at this World Championships. She had three penalty loops and finished 18 seconds behind Andersson.

Tough battle in the men's junior race

Kasper Kalkenberg from Norway already won the mass start 60 in the youth category at the World Championships in Otepaa last year, and one year later he is the best of the juniors. He braved the wind and snow that came up during the race the best and secured the gold medal on the final lap. Jimi Klemettinen was the first athlete to leave the shooting range, but Kalkenberg managed to overtake him on the final lap. However, with only three misses, the Finn was the best shooter of the medallists. Petr Hak finished third, 33 seconds behind the winning time.

Mass start crystal globes go to Greenland and France

Anaelle Bondoux from France and Sondre Slettemark from Greenland won the overall ranking of the IBU Junior Cup in the mass start 60. For Greenland it is the first crystal globe in the history of the biathlon.

Photos: IBU I Danielsson