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No mistakes, brilliant final lap: Denise Herrmann-Wick was unbeatable in the sprint
Photo: IMAGO/MATHIAS BERGELD / IMAGO/Bildbyran
Individual Olympic champion Denise Herrmann-Wick won the gold medal in the sprint at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof.
Over the 7.5 kilometers, Germany's best biathlete finished without shooting errors, 2.2 seconds ahead of Swede Hanna Öberg, who was also in the lead after standing.
Öberg's compatriot Linn Persson completed the podium 26.2 seconds behind the leader.
Herrmann-Wick, who leads the discipline ranking in the sprint in the World Cup, had a perfect race: the former cross-country skiing specialist kept calm in both prone and standing shooting and got all her shots on target.
On the final lap Herrmann-Wick then had the greatest power reserves and made up more than ten seconds on Öberg, who started the race faster.
Overall World Cup leader Julia Simon of France played no part in the battle for victory after missing her last two shots in standing.
Schneider and Kebinger are also doing well
Sophia Schneider took seventh place with a missed target at the finish line, and World Cup debutant Hanna Kebinger (one mistake) in 16th place also did a respectable job.
Janina Hettich-Walz (23rd) and Vanessa Voigt (41st) could not attack the front places.
The sprint result determines the starting order and the time intervals for the pursuit race over 10 kilometers on Sunday (1.25 p.m.).
Herrmann-Wick will also be among the medal contenders there.
cev
