Last two World Championship races

Hauser twelfth in mass start, gala for Norwegians

Former world champion Lisa Hauser finished twelfth in the final mass start of the Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Former world champion Lisa Hauser finished twelfth in the final mass start of the Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide. The 31-year-old Tyrolean made four shooting errors on Sunday. In the end, she was 1:09.2 minutes behind the victorious Swede Elvira Öberg in warm temperatures and deep tracks. In the men's event, superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö took bronze in his last World Championship race behind his Norwegian compatriots Endre Strömsheim and Sturla Holm Laegreid.

Record world champion Bö had to go into the penalty loop four times. However, the 31-year-old, who surprisingly ended his career before the Olympic season, remained penalty-free at the last shooting and secured his 43rd World Championship medal. For Strömsheim, it was his first in an individual competition - and after just one shooting error, it shone in gold. World Cup leader Laegreid (2 penalties) sprinted down Bö twelve seconds behind him in the battle for silver. The Austrians did not qualify for the 15 km mass start.

For Hauser, it was the best individual result of the championships held in Switzerland for the first time on the day after her surprising fourth place with the ÖSV women's relay team. The 2021 mass start world champion put in a good skiing performance, but missed twice in her first attempt. "That's just too much and I was always a bit behind," explained Hauser. This was followed by another miss in the prone position and one in the final standing stage.

"A lot would have been possible"
Hauser was ultimately 53 seconds short of a medal after 12.5 km. "In and of itself, that's a good result today, which I can be happy about," said Hauser. "Nevertheless, a lot would definitely have been possible." It wasn't the perfect race right from the start. "The conditions were tough and really difficult, but thankfully I had very good material. All in all, it was a solid finish."

Öberg came out on top after two penalty loops ahead of France's Oceane Michelon and Norway's Maren Kirkeeide (both 3) and took her first World Championship title. The top favorites all missed out. The German World Cup leader Franziska Preuß ended up in seventh place after problems on the cross-country track despite only one miss. The French Olympic champion Justine Braisaz-Bouchet finished tenth after seven penalties. Nevertheless, France finished the World Championships as the clear number one with six gold medals in twelve events, ahead of Norway (4 titles).