MINSK, 12 April (BelTA) – Belarus’ Hanna Sola secured a victory in the season-ending sprint of the 2023/24 Commonwealth Biathlon Cup season in Murmansk, Russia, BelTA has learned.
The event featured 27 Russian biathletes and two Belarusian athletes – Hanna Sola and Darya Kudaeva. After the first standing stage Hanna Sola was going second, one tenth of a second behind Irina Kazakevich. Both athletes missed one shot each, but it was the Belarusian who launched the final lap with a five seconds’ advantage and went unchallenged to the finish for her second victory of the season. At the January leg in Raubichi Hanna Sola won the mass start.
Darya Kudaeva shot clean to finish 19th in the final sprint. Dzinara Smolskaya did not take part in the event. Bronze went to Natalya Gerbulova, 13 seconds behind the winner. Victoria Slivko remained in the women’s total score lead.
The men’s final sprint will feature 44 biathletes, including 14 Belarusians. Ahead of the season-ending event Anton Smolski of Belarus tops the men’s total score, 25 points ahead of second-placed Eduard Latypov of Russia.
Saturday will feature individual and mixed relays, with mass starts scheduled for 14 April.
