Austria claim first single mixed relay of season
BySportsbeat
Updated 26/11/2017 at 20:57 GMT
Lisa Theresa Hauser and Simon Eder of Austria claimed the first single mixed relay of the Biathlon season at the Swedish National Biathlon Arena in Oestersund.
Austria's Simon Eder (L) and Lisa Theresa Hauser celebrate after winning the Single Mixed Relay event of the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Ostersund, Sweden.
Image credit: Getty Images
The Austrian team stopped the clock in 36:17.0 to seal the top step of the podium and were 16.5 seconds ahead of Vanessa Hinz, on debut, and Erik Lesser of Germany in second.
Kazakhstan pair Galina Vishnevskaya and Maxim Braun claimed third place after finishing 32.7 seconds behind the leaders.
"The hope was to finish in the top three; winning of course is even better. The last shoot felt amazing," said Eder post-race.
"I think I've been shooting fast, just the first standing was slower, but you need to slow down at times.
"Sometimes you feel good and sometimes you are afraid when you come to the range and today I felt good."
Vishnevskaya had taken an early lead but by the first exchange Hauser was within two seconds with Germany and Canadian pair Rosanna Crawford and Christian Gow close behind.
But Eder took control in the second leg with Germany’s Lesser moving his team up to second, 12 seconds behind the leaders at the second changeover.
Sweden’s Linn Persson’s clean shoot brought her team into the mix with Hinz seeing Germany slip to sixth ahead of the final leg.
But a perfect 10 from 10 at the final shooting range helped Eder seal the win for Austria with Lesser’s sprint finish seeing him pip Braun to the silver medal.
France finished fourth just a single second behind Kazakhstan with Sweden and Ukraine finishing fifth and sixth respectively.
"I was very nervous before the race. I never did a single mixed relay before. I'm very satisfied with my competition, perhaps one or two fewer mistakes," said Hinz.
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