Hattricks and new competition format for the Para Biathlon season kickoff in Martell
Feb 05, 2024·Para Cross-Country
After Toblach (ITA), the Italian series of the Para Nordic World Cup continued in Martell (ITA) with a para cross-country skiing race and three para biathlon races on the schedule, also launching the season for para biathletes.
The first race held at the Biathlon Zentrum in Martell was a Sprint Classic again held in three phases: qualifications, semi-finals, and finals. Athletes who emerged as leaders in Toblach (ITA) the previous week confirmed their excellent start to the season. In the Sitting category, we find Oksana Masters (USA) on the top step of the women's podium ahead of her compatriot Kendall Gretsch and Anja Wicker (GER), as well as Bal Pavlo (UKR), the winner in the men's category, ahead of Cristian Westemaier Ribera (BRA) and Giuseppe Romele (ITA), the leader's bib wearer. Familiar faces also stood on the podium in the Women Standing category: Nilsen Vilde (NOR) secured another World Cup victory by finishing ahead of Liudmyla Liashenko (UKR) and Natalie Wilkie (CAN). In the Men Standing category, bib wearer Taiki Kawayoke (JPN) repeated his success, this time ahead of Benjamin Daviet (FRA) and Sebastian Marburger (GER). In the Women Vision Impaired category, German dominance was disrupted by Carina Edlinger (AUT) and her guide Julia Pfennich (AUT), victorious ahead of Linn Kazmaier (GER) and her guide Florian Baumann (GER), and Leonie Maria Walter (GER) and her guide Christian Krasman (GER). On the men's side, the American duo of Jake Adicoff and his guide Gus Schatzlein once again prevailed, this time ahead of the Finns Inkki Inola and Arttu Kaario, his guide, in second place, and Piotr Garbowski (POL), accompanied by his guide Jakub Twardowski (POL), in third.
The inaugural event of the 2023/24 para biathlon season, held the next day, saw anticipation peak as nearly 70 male and female athletes showcased their skills across a 7.5 km course. Notably, the Ukrainian national team emerged triumphant, securing three victories and setting an impressive tone for the season ahead.
This first para biathlon competition marked Oksana Masters’ return in grand fashion, as she not only completed the course with the best time but also surprised herself by flawlessly hitting all ten targets. In the sitting category, the Americans dominated with a double victory, courtesy of the triple-world champion from 2023, Kendall Gretsch. The men's competition in the same category mirrored this success, as Ukraine secured a double triumph. Taras Rad emerged victorious, narrowly defeating Pavlo Bal by less than 20 seconds. The female part of the Ukrainian national team, participating in the standing category, repeated this success. Liudmyla Liashenko, with one mistake at the shooting range, lost only to her teammate Oleksandra Kononova. Meanwhile, the men's competition within this starting group unfolded as a closely contested battle. Initially, Serhii Romaniuk (UKR) and Marco Maier (GER) took turns leading the race. Mark Arendz (CAN) displayed remarkable endurance in the latter part of the distance, ultimately securing the win. Noteworthy is that all three athletes exhibited flawless marksmanship, and the differences at the finish line were marginal.
"It is fantastic that the racing is so competitive. Everything was really close to the first shooting. After that, in the second part of the race, things started to open up a little bit. I am really happy I could feed off splits and hear what was going on. It is good for me that I had that power and fitness to react", said Arendz.
The dessert of Thursday's competition featured participants from the vision impaired category, with German athletes dominating the women's race. Linn Kazmaier claimed the top spot, followed by Leonie Maria Walter in second place, and Johanna Recktenwald in third place. The men's race witnessed a similarly close outcome, with three Ukrainians securing positions in the top four. Anthony Chalencon (FRA) and his guide Florian Michelon (FRA) upheld the honour of the rest of the world, clinching the third spot on the podium. Oleksandr Kazik (UKR), and his guide Serhii Kucheriavyi (UKR), continued their impressive winning streak from Ostersund (SWE), winning three gold medals there. In the week's first competition, they surpassed their compatriots Iaroslav Reshetynskyi and his guide Iaroslav Reshetynskyi by less than twenty seconds.
After a day of rest, para biathletes returned to the Martell World Cup, introducing the two-stage format known as Sprint Pursuit on Saturday. This event served as a trial before the upcoming March competition in Prince George, where it is set to debut in the Para World Championships program. The day was filled with emotions as the new discipline received favorable feedback from all attendees at the stadium.
The day commenced with a morning Sprint, where the results determined the starting list for the afternoon Pursuit. Athletes within each category whose final performance in the initial race falls within a 30% margin behind the first-place finisher were eligible to participate in the second race. Both stages covered a distance of 4 km, but the Sprint imposed a penalty of 20 seconds for each missed shot, while the Pursuit involved competitors running penalty rounds for any shooting mistakes. Interestingly, men's and women's pursuits in a given category were held simultaneously.
Among the biathletes competing in the sitting category, Kendall Gretsch (USA) was the best at adapting to the new competition format. The 31-year-old athlete, renowned for securing three gold medals in the previous year's WCH in Ostersund (SWE), commenced the race in the second position. However, in the final running round, she successfully closed the gap with Anja Wicker from Germany, who had initially taken the lead after the Sprint.
"It is a fun format. The conditions in the afternoon were completely different than they were in the morning. It got warmer and windier. You'll never know what will happen in that case, but it was still fun and exciting. I am thrilled with my performance," said Gretsch, who overtook the bib of a World Cup leader from Oksana Masters, who finished third.
In the men's competition, Taras Rad (UKR) secured the top position by crossing the finish line with a forty-second lead despite starting the race in fourth place. His impeccable shooting performance played a crucial role in surpassing his competitors. Vasyl Kravchuk (UKR), who finished second, faced challenges with three missed shots, while Aaron Pike (USA), securing the third position, had to run one penalty round.
Within the women's standing category, Lyudmyla Liashenko (UKR) sought vengeance against Oleksandra Kononova (UKR) for her previous defeat in Wednesday's Sprint. Ukrainian athletes claimed the entirety of the podium, with Bohdana Konashuk securing the third position. In the men's competition, the podium displayed greater diversity. Mark Arendz from Canada maintained his lead after the Sprint, even with two penalty rounds. Benjamin Daviet from France displayed perfect shooting, trailing the winner by 22 seconds. Nazar Shevchyk from Ukraine secured the third position.
In the vision impaired category, spectators witnessed once again the dominance of the German women's and Ukrainian men's teams, leaving no room on the podium for representatives of any other nation. Linn Kazmaier (GER) and Oleksandr Kazik (UKR) further solidified their roles as leaders in the overall World Cup classification, both securing victories with impressive margins of over a minute.
On the final day, athletes engaged in a challenging competition encompassing a 10km distance and featuring four visits at the shooting range. The results of these races have determined the recipients of the overall leader's bib, setting the stage for the upcoming March World Championships in Prince George, Canada.
Securing her second consecutive victory in the women's sitting category, Kendall Gretsch (USA) exhibited exceptional marksmanship, only missing once in twenty shots during her third visit to the shooting range. The American's outstanding performance granted her a substantial lead of almost two minutes over her closest competitor, Oksana Masters (USA), who incurred five additional penalty rounds. Maintaining her consistent podium presence from previous races, Anja Wicker (GER) completed the top three. It appears that these three formidable competitors are poised to engage in a fierce battle for World Championship medals. Meanwhile, the men's race showcased the dominance of the Ukrainian team, clinching all three podium spots. With just one miss, Vasyl Kravchuk secured the top spot with a half-minute advantage over Taras Rad, the leader in the World Cup standings, who had two missed shots. Oleksandr Aleksyk claimed the third position, narrowly overtaking Yerbol Khamitov (KAZ).
Triumphing in the standing category, the Canadian representatives showcased their prowess as Mark Arendz secured a remarkable hattrick. The 33-year-old maintained an impeccable 100% shooting efficiency, crossing the finish line with a commanding lead over two minutes ahead of Benjamin Daviet (FRA). In the women's competition, Brittany Hudak (CAN) halted the Ukrainian women's streak of victories. With with just one penalty round she surpassed Liudmyla Liashenko (UKR), who had to run five penalties. The success of Team Canada was further underscored, with Natalie Wilkie securing third place, rounding off an exceptional day for the Canadian contingent.
On the other hand, the dynamics in the vision-impaired category remained consistent, with no shifts in the balance of power among the competing men and women. The dominance continued with the ladies from Germany and gentlemen from Ukraine prominently asserting themselves. Oleksandr Kazik (UKR) and Linn Kazmeier (GER) clinched their third consecutive victory, standing atop the podium once again, accompanied solely by their teammates.
"I am thrilled with all the victories. It was fun to compete here. I hope to win some medals at the World Championships, but most of all, I just want to have good races there. I will try to shoot with zero mistakes and be fast at the tracks," said Kazmeier.
