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Benedikt Doll is happy about his first win of the season
Photo: Matthias Schrader/AP
Biathlete Benedikt Doll has won a World Cup race for the first time this season. In the mass start in Antholz, the 31-year-old clearly prevailed over twelve-time world champion Johannes Thingnes Bø from Norway. Last week Doll had already finished second in the sprint at the home World Cup in Ruhpolding. After a penalty loop, Doll was 31.3 seconds ahead of the Norwegian, who had two penalties, in the last men's individual race before the Olympics in Beijing after a shooting error. Third place went to Norway's Sturla Holm Laegreid.
For Doll it was the third World Cup victory of his career, for the German biathletes the second this winter.
With Frenchman Emilien Jacquelin, Sweden's Sebastian Samuelsson and Russian Alexander Loginow, three of the top five athletes in the overall World Cup were missing.
Nevertheless, with a performance like that in Antholz, Doll can also hope for medals at the Olympics, the running form was just as good as the precision on the shooting range.
The last standing stage was decisive: favorite Bø put Doll under pressure with a fast shooting rhythm, but missed a target.
Doll landed all of his shots on the bull's eye, taking a seven-second lead into the final lap and never letting the Norwegian come close.
“I knew I had incredibly good skis today and I was really good at skiing too,” said Doll.
In the running duel with Bø, he had set himself "to keep the distance for the first half of the lap." Then his fiercest competitor for the day's victory would already give up: "And that's how it was then."
Boldly back after corona infection
Johannes Kühn came 19th on his comeback after his compulsory Corona break. The 30-year-old was 3:21.4 minutes behind Doll after six penalties.
Roman Rees with six penalties finished the 15K in 21st place, 3:33 back.
"I was never really bad, but I had a bit of a cough for two days," said Kühn about his Corona experiences.
Everything has been fine since Wednesday last week.
»The running is actually there to get back into the rhythm.
And then to make the best possible use of the next two weeks,” said Kühn.
cev/dpa