At the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, only the Ukrainian Dmytro Pidrutschnji can break into the phalanx of the Norwegians. Although the 31-year-old remains without a medal, that does not bother the 2019 pursuit world champion. He’s happy to be able to be there at all.
For the Ukrainian biathlete Dmytro Pidruchnji, his fifth place in the Oberhof World Championship sprint was more than just a top result. “What a crazy day…I’m so happy…Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!” Pidruchyi wrote on Instagram.
Almost exactly a year ago, the 31-year-old returned to his homeland immediately after the Russians invaded and served as a soldier for almost three months. Less than 14 days after his last Olympic start in Beijing, the 2019 pursuit world champion sat exhausted in a basement with a steel helmet on his head while his fellow competitors were still fighting for World Cup points. The picture he posted at the time moved his biathlon colleagues a lot. Countless athletes lost their lives in the war, including a 19-year-old junior biathlete.
After a knee operation in December, Pidrutschnji celebrated a great comeback at the IBU Cup in Obertilliach in early February with third place. “It is very important for me, my team and above all for my country. The last few weeks have been difficult for me, also because I lost a friend in the war. We are doing our best so that our country is heard and not forgotten.” , he wrote afterwards.
In the sprint, Pidrutschnji was the only one able to break into the phalanx of the Norwegians around world champion Johannes Thingnes Bö, who also took places two to four and sixth. “It’s a special day. We have five Norwegians in the top six, plus one Ukrainian. If I could have chosen six athletes, it would be the perfect story to tell the world that we stick together. He’s part of our team and we support him too,” said World Cup runner-up Tarjei Bö.
