Sprint Pursuits Deliver Drama on Day Two in Canmore

Para Biathlon

14 Dec 2025

Sprint Pursuits Deliver Drama on Day Two in Canmore

Sprint Pursuits never disappoint. The IBU Para Biathlon World Cup’s signature format once again delivered a compelling show on day two in Canmore. Team USA claimed a double win in the sitting events, while Canada repeated Thursday’s dominance in the standing categories. In the vision-impaired races, the victories went to European athletes.

The weather on day two proved slightly more favorable than during the opener. Although the intense frost had eased, gusty winds periodically disrupted shooting conditions, contributing to a lower-than-usual hit percentage across the field. Despite the tricky conditions, Aaron Pike shot flawlessly to win the men’s sitting qualification. He started the pursuit 9 seconds ahead of Derek Zaplotinsky. After the first shooting bout, the gap remained steady, but three penalties for the Canadian eventually dropped him to sixth place. Pike secured the win, 38 seconds clear of compatriot Joshua Sweeney, who celebrated the first podium of his career. Third place, just as two days earlier, went to Ukraine’s Taras Rad.

"Josh and I set ourselves up pretty well in the first part of the competition. There were a lot of misses out there, and the wind kept picking up throughout the day. Josh was able to shoot clean, and I still missed one on my final shooting. It was pretty sweet to see him cross the line in second - I didn't expect that," Pike said. "With one race to go, I'm feeling pretty good, but also pretty tired. We've had three cross-country races and now three biathlon races. Hopefully, everyone else is feeling a little tired, too, and maybe I can have another good race tomorrow."

The women’s pursuit in the sitting category delivered equally intense moments. Anja Wicker started with a comfortable advantage after the sprint, but four missed shots dashed her podium hopes. The victory went to the ever-consistent Kendall Gretsch. The American has lost only once since the beginning of last winter and is clearly determined to keep that streak alive. She finished 28 seconds ahead of 19-year-old Yunji Kim of South Korea. Oksana Masters climbed from sixth to third, delivering her first clean final shooting stage since returning from injury.

Mark Arendz, the Total Score leader in the men’s standing category, continued his impressive early-season form. Despite three misses in qualifying, he quickly reasserted control in the final, dominating his home course. Ukraine’s Serhii Romaniuk appears to be his closest challenger at the moment, finishing 45 seconds behind. Benjamin Daviet and teammate Karl Tabouret battled for third, with the French Paralympic champion ultimately securing the final podium spot - mirroring Thursday’s results.

The women’s standing final provided a riveting contest. Liudmyla Liashenko set off with a 25-second advantage over Natalie Wilkie, but a miss on the first shooting stage allowed the Canadian to take the lead. Wilkie, however, faltered in her second shooting, enabling Liashenko to reclaim the top position. The final lap once again belonged to the home athlete, who powered away to win by 15 seconds. Third place went to Oleksandra Kononova.

Carina Edlinger came close to securing her first victory under her new flag. The Czech athlete was unable to capitalize on Leonie Walter’s misses in the second shooting stage. Edlinger also skied a penalty lap and let the German athlete celebrate her second consecutive win. Johanna Recktenwald completed the podium. The men’s VI pursuit finished in the same order in which it began: Oleksander Kazik claimed his first win of the season, half a minute ahead of France’s Anthony Chalencon and well clear of Lennart Mattis Volkert, who earned his maiden podium.