The gold medalists were, unsurprisingly, the most skilled shooters.
Marte Olsbu Roeiseland, Norway, missed just one of her standing targets to win a 10-kilometer pursuit race. Quentin Fillon Maillet, France, hit all 20 to earn his second gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in the 12.5 kilometer race.
This was Roeiseland’s third gold medal, and fourth overall medal since his arrival in China.
The Norwegian stated, “I made one mistake in my first standing. So in the last standing, I was very focused on the targets going down.” “It’s hard. It snows, it’s difficult to ski, but I had incredible skis that helped me tremendously.
Roeiseland began the race with a lead due to her victory in the sprint race. She remained focused throughout. She finished the race in 34 minutes 46.9 seconds.
Elvira Oeberg from Sweden was second in sprint and started 31 seconds ahead of Roeiseland. However, she had three misses during her second and third shooting bouts but managed to clean the last standing and finish 1:36.5 behind Roeiseland for silver.
Oeberg stated that after two errors in the first standing, he wasn’t feeling as confident. Although I felt like I had lost my chance of a medal today, I felt there was still a chance for me to win in the final standing. It’s so amazing that I was able to keep it together.
Tiril Eckhoff, Norway, also missed three targets but finished 1:48.7 ahead of her teammate for bronze. She was also awarded bronze in the mass race in Sochi and Pyeongchang.
“The conditions were extremely heavy. It was heavy snow and slow snow. Eckhoff stated that it was a difficult race. “I didn’t give up, that was my motto.”
Roeiseland won gold previously in both the sprint and mixed relay. Bronze was also awarded to her in the individual race. Oeberg won two silver medals in her Olympic debut. Eckhoff won her first medal at the Beijing Games.
Fillon Maillet, a man in the men’s race, started 26 seconds behind Johannes Tingnes Boe, Norway. He had won the sprint race earlier in the day, but it was his photography that won the day.
Fillon Maillet stated, “I’m proud of myself because today the conditions were so difficult — windy, and snowing.” “It was a very difficult fight throughout the entire race.”
This was the Frenchman’s second Olympic gold and fourth overall. He won the gold medal in the individual race, as well as silver in the mixed relay sprint and sprint.
Boe started first, but missed seven targets. He fell back to fifth, 2:33.7 behind Fillon Maillet.
Boe stated, “It was a difficult race on the track with snow.” It felt like a fight and the range was difficult. It was windy, it was hard to walk, and your heart beat faster than ever. It wasn’t easy.
Tarjei Boe finished second in the sprint. For his second silver medal at the Beijing Games, he finished 28.6 seconds behind Frenchman.
Tarjei Boe stated, “Trying to hit these targets in these conditions can be tough, but it was a good-day for me.” “It was my way to the podium, and I was fortunate that the conditions were difficult.
The Russian team’s Eduard Latypov also missed only one target, and won bronze 35.3 seconds later.
Lukas Hofer, an Italian biathlete, was the only one to finish clean. He was fourth, 51.1 seconds ahead of the winner.
