Ostersund, Sweden - Wang Chunli stunned the favourites for a
rare Chinese biathlon World Cup victory in the women's sprint on
Saturday while Norway's Emil Hegle Svendsen dominated the men's race.
The two-time 2008 world champion Svendsen missed one of 10 targets
in the shooting range and won the men's 10-kilometres sprint in 25
minutes 42.3 seconds. It was the seventh career win for the
23-year-old.
Tomasz Sikora of Poland trailed by 12.7 seconds in second place,
also with one penalty loop. Simon Fourcade of France was third, 28.1
seconds off the pace after hitting all targets.
The 81-time World Cup race winner Ole Einar Bjoerndalen missed one
shot and the podium by one tenth of a second in fourth place.
On the women's side, Wang, 25, was the surprise 7.5km winner in
22:48.1 minutes for only the second Chinese success in the sport,
following Shumei You in 2001. Wang had never made the top 10 before
in the World Cup.
Tora Berger of Norway trailed by 1.4 seconds in second place and
World Cup holder Magdalena Neuner of Germany was 4.8 seconds off the
pace in third place as all podium finishers were flawless in the
shooting range.
Svendsen leads the men's World Cup standings with 108 points from
two events and ex-champion Kati Wilhelm of Germany is top on the
women's side with 92 points.
The Ostersund events are wrapped up on Sunday with pursuit races
for men and women.
Your Talkback on this Story