Biathlon news - Kaisa Makarainen sees off Tiril Eckhoff in biathlon mass start

BySportsbeat

Updated 12/01/2020 at 13:44 GMT

Kaisa Makarainen got the better of Norway's Tiril Eckhoff in the 12.5km mass start in Oberhof to claim her first biathlon World Cup success of the season.

(L-R) Second place Norway's Tiril Eckhoff, winner Finland's Kaisa Makarainen and third place Norway's Marte Olsbu Roeiseland celebrate on the podium after the women's 12,5km Mass Start event during the IBU World Biathlon Championships in Oberhof, central

Image credit: Getty Images

The 36-year-old from Finland has won the overall World Cup title three times, but had not yet finished on the podium this season.

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However on a day where everyone struggled on the range, Makarainen missed just once to take victory by 30.2 seconds from Eckhoff, who missed four.

Oberhof

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The Norwegian had won four World Cup events in a row in December and sits second in the overall standings, having cut leader Dorothea Wierer's lead down to just nine points with this second-place finish.

Wierer finished fourth to hang onto her overall lead, with Norway's Marte Olsbu Roeiseland ahead of her to earn a podium place.

Oberhof