Slovenian Teja Gregorin took the first Roller Ski Gold medal in the Women’s 7.5 km Sprint. The 28-year-old finsihed in 24:27.8 minutes on a very cold late September morning with temperatures only slightly above zero Celsius. Marie Laurent Brunet in second place was 26.3 seconds behind. Maria Kossinova of Russia won the bronze medal (+44.4). In almost windless conditions all three hit all of their ten targets.

Gregorin, who hasn’t specifically prepared for the World Championships was felt very satisfied straight after the race: “It was quite cold, a little bit too cold for that time of the year. The tracks are very hard to ski, especially once you made it up the main hill. That’s the hardest part.”

French superstar Sandrine Bailly had to circle in the penalty lap once, thus finishing in 11th place (+2:06).  

French Double Victory in Women’s Junior Sprint

In the Junior’s division, the hosts claimed a double victory with Marine Bolliet (1 shooting error) taking Gold and Anais Bescon (2) on the silver spot. Bolliet’s advantage over her teammate was only a mere 0.4 seconds. Belorussia’s Karina Savoski (1) came in third, 11.4 seconds behind the winner.

Roller Ski Competition program
Friday, 26.09.2008

12:15 Roller Ski - 10 km Sprint Men & Junior Men

Saturday, 27.09.2008

09:00 Roller Ski – 10 km Pursuit Senior Women
10:00 Roller Ski – 10 km Pursuit Junior Women
12:00 Roller Ski – 12.5 km Pursuit Senior Men
13:00 Roller Ski – 12.5 km Pursuit Junior Men

Sunday, 28.09.2008

10:00 Roller Ski – 2 x 6 km + 2 x 7.5 km Senior Mixed Relay
12:30 Roller Ski – 2 x 6 km + 2 x 7.5 km Junior Mixed Relay

All times Central European Summer Time (CEST)

***
 
Fourcade and Desfrasne take Gold and Silver in front of Home Crowd
French dominate 10 km Rollerski-Sprint

The grandstand at the biathlon stadium at Bessans was full with madly yelling French schoolkids when local heros Simon Fourcade and Vincent Defrasne fought for the 10 km Rollerski Sprint title in an exciting duel. 24-year-old Fourcade had the better end and won in outstanding fashion. He shot flawlessly twice and finished 47 seconds ahead of his 33-year-old teammate who had missed two targets in the standing position. Bronze went to Russia’s Kirill Scherbakov. Like Fourcade he had downed all targets but due to his significantly slower pace on the track finished 1:29.5 behind the winner.

Tanguy Rochet with his fourth place and Vincent Porret on six completed the excellent team performance of the French today. Canadian Jean Philipe Leguellec finsihed fith (+1:40,5 minutes/no errors).

Fourcade: I skied full speed all the way!

Simon Fourcade: „Actually, I had planned to begin the race decently since I didn’t want to end up breathless on the final lap which can happen easily up here at 1750 meteres. But then I decided to race full speed all the way. The track is not too difficult here.“

„I knew there was going to be a duel between Vincent (Desfrasne) and me. We had our French National Championships last weekend and both Vincent and I have been in pretty good shape.“

Defrasne: It was a great duel!

Vincent Defrasne: „I can’t be satisfied with my two shooting errors even though my preparation is fully focused on the winter season. It was a great duel between Simon and me, nonetheless. The coaches told me all split times on the track – that motivated me even more.

„We don’t have that many big biathlon competitions in France and we urgently need more of this kind. We’d love to compete more often in our own country.

Gold No. 2 for Fourcade family in Junior competition

Martin Fourcade did like his brother had done an hour before: he won the Gold medal in the 10 km roller ski Sprint – in the Juniors division. He won 53.8 seconds ahaead of Swiss‘ Benjamin Wegner, having shot only one penalty. Wegner had missed twice. Jean Guillaume Beatrix (FRA) with his bronze took another medal for the French team (+1:02.8 minutes/3).
 
Competition Schedule
Saturday, 27.09.2008

09:00 Roller Ski – 10 km Pursuit Senior Women
10:00 Roller Ski – 10 km Pursuit Junior Women
12:00 Roller Ski – 12.5 km Pursuit Senior Men
13:00 Roller Ski – 12.5 km Pursuit Junior Men

Sunday, 28.09.2008

10:00 Roller Ski – 2 x 6 km + 2 x 7.5 km Senior Mixed Relay
12:30 Roller Ski – 2 x 6 km + 2 x 7.5 km Junior Mixed Relay

All times Central European Summer Time (CEST)

Tom Klein
www.biathlonworld.com
26.09.2008, Haute Maurienne Vanoise