Bakken claimed victory in a closely contested men’s competition, showcasing impressive consistency with almost flawless shooting (0+0+1+0) and finishing in 40:14.9. Sverre Dahlen Aspenes, despite three misses (2+0+0+1), secured second place, only 39.3 seconds behind his teammate, thanks to his strong skiing performance. In third, Isak Frey delivered a solid race, balancing three misses (1+1+1+0) with fast skiing to finish just 41.6 seconds back.
THE WINNER’S WORDS - SIVERT GUTTORM BAKKEN
It feels so good to be back competing and winning. The win came earlier than I expected. I felt ok in the tracks and took my time on the shooting range. To clear 19 targets in the Individual usually goes a long way.
Also from Norway, Vetle Paulsen finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium despite just one miss (1+0+0+0) and finishing 46.7 seconds behind Bakken. Olli Hiidensalo of Finland took fifth place with A perfect 20/20 and a gap of 53.2 seconds, marking a commendable performance among the Norwegian dominance. Gilles Paturel of France rounded out the top six with a time of +1:36.2, combining three misses (1+1+0+1) with solid skiing.
Erdal clinched victory in the women’s competition with a strong skiing performance and one miss, finishing with a time of 38:00.2. French athlete Voldiya Galmace Paulin came incredibly close, securing second place just 9.9 seconds behind Erdal, also with one miss. Anastasiya Merkushyna from Ukraine completed the podium with flawless 20/20, finishing 48.4 seconds back, showcasing her precision on the range.
THE WINNER’S WORDS - KAROLINE ERDAL
It was a really goo day for me. It was my first win in the Individual competitions. I felt good on the skis and focused on each shot.
Sophie Chauveau of France placed fourth despite two misses, finishing 55.5 seconds behind Erdal thanks to the fastest skiing time. Emma Nilsson of Sweden, shooting cleanly, came in fifth, only 56.6 seconds behind. Amandine Mengin, also from France, rounded out the top six with two misses and a gap of 1:05.0.
Photo: I. Stančik: IBU Photo Pool