Anastasiya Kuzmina Wins Gold Medal for Biathlon Olympics 2018 12.5KM Mass Start
Slovakia's Anastasiya Kuzmina continued her brilliant form at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Saturday, as she raced to gold in the women's 12.5-kilometre biathlon mass start.
Kuzmina, who won silver in the individual and pursuit events, got off to a blistering start and was able to put a big gap between herself and the rest of the field. She finished in a time of 35 minutes, 23 seconds.
Darya Domracheva earned a silver medal for Belarus with a strong performance, while Norway's Tiril Eckhoff finished third after a battle with Hanna Oeberg of Sweden.
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Pre-race favourite Laura Dahlmeier, who has won two golds at these Games, didn't have her best day and came home in 16th.
Beneath the top three from the biathlon event is a recap of a fascinating battle at the Alpensia Biathlon Center.
1. Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK) - 35:23.0
2. Darya Domracheva (BLR) - 35:41.8
3. Tiril Eckhoff (NOR) - 35:50.7
Kuzmina Grabs 3rd Olympic Gold
The mass start event is often the most exciting on the biathlon schedule, with the racers in direct competition with one another.
There's also an extra pressure on the athletes, especially when they all tussle for position in the first round of shooting. While some made errors—including Dahlmeier, who picked up an early penalty—some, like Kuzmina, relished the challenge.
She was quickly into position in the first round of shooting, and after five flawless attempts, the Slovakian found herself in a tremendous position.
From that point on, the victory never appeared to be in doubt, as Kuzmina put the hammer down with her pace. Another immaculate round of shooting in the prone position gave her even more breathing room.
Per the IBU World Cup Twitter account, she cut a long figure near the halfway point of the race:
It wasn't until the final round of shots that Kuzmina missed, but by that point, she was a long way clear—so much so she was able to drape herself in her country's colours as she crossed the line.
It's no new experience for the Slovakian, who won back-to-back golds in the sprint event at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, Canada, and the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
As the Biathlon facts&stats Twitter account relayed, the latest victory for Kuzmina puts her in an elite group:
With the winner a long way clear from the rest of the pack, much of the race's focus was on the battle for the minor medals.
Domracheva was able to separate herself from the rest of the competitors to take silver, as she earned just one penalty on her way around the 12.5-kilometre circuit. It was enough to give the Belarusian her fifth Olympic medal, having won three golds at Sochi.
As noted before the race, the medal meant the 31-year-old made biathlon Olympic history:
For the second successive Games, Eckhoff was able to win bronze in the 12.5-kilometre biathlon mass start, as she outlasted competition from Oeberg and Italy's Lisa Vittozzi, who came home in fifth and fourth, respectively. The Norwegian had a clean final round of shooting while her rivals for third faltered.
Dahlmeier will be disappointed not to have featured higher up, having already won twice at these Games. However, two golds and a bronze represent an excellent medal haul from the German in Pyeongchang.
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