MINSK, Feb 15 (BelTA/APP): Belarusians Dzinara Smolskaya and Hanna Sola took fourth and fifth places in the mass start at the fifth leg of the Commonwealth Biathlon Cup in Sochi, BelTA has learned.
Thirty of the season’s best biathletes participated in the race, including six Belarusian women. Heading into the final shooting stage, Dzinara Smolskaya and Hanna Sola were among the top five, having each recorded one miss at the previous ranges.
At the standing shoot, both Belarusians missed once but maintained their positions in the top five. Our athletes covered the final lap slower than their rivals and ultimately finished outside the medal places: Smolskaya came fourth, Sola fifth.
The mass start victory was claimed by Viktoriya Slivko, silver went to Kristina Reztsova, and Natalia Shevchenko took third place, finishing nine seconds ahead of Dzinara. As for the other Belarusians, Irina Shakleina posted the 12th time, Kseniya Varabei finished 17th, Alena Kulak was 23rd, and Viktoryia Shashkova placed 29th.
Earlier on 14 February in the men’s mass start, Belarus’ Maksim Varabei finished just outside the podium, with gold going to Russia’s Kirill Bazhin. The program of the fifth leg of the Commonwealth Biathlon Cup in Sochi will conclude on 15 February with team sprints. The men’s race starts at 11 a.m., followed by the women’s event at 1 p.m.