Julia Simon seals mass start victory and Johannes Thingnes Boe continues dominance with ninth win of the season

BySportsbeat

Updated 15/01/2023 at 15:58 GMT

The men's and women's respective World Cup leaders were both victorious in the Ruhpolding mass start. Simon is now 141 points clear of Elvira Oeberg in the World Cup standings, in what was her ninth podium in 12 races so far this year. There was a Norwegian clean sweep on the podium for the men, as Johannes Thingnes Boe was joined by Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen and Sturla Holm Laegreid.

Simon holds off Vittozzi to claim biathlon mass start victory in Ruhpolding

Julia Simon took advantage of the absence of Elvira Oeberg to consolidate her spot at the top of the biathlon World Cup standings with mass start victory, while Johannes Thingnes Boe continued his dominance in the men's equivalent.

Simon and Oeberg have led the way in the women's World Cup standings so far this season, with the Frenchwoman currently on top. And when her Swedish rival pulled out of the mass start in Ruhpolding, it gave Simon a great opportunity to pull clear.

She needed no second invitation, showing off her superior ski speed as she sprinted past Lisa Vittozzi and compatriot Anais Chevalier-Bouchet on the final lap to take victory, despite three misses on the range to her rivals' one apiece as they finished second and third respectively.

Ruhpolding

Thingnes Boe leads home Norwegian clean sweep in biathlon mass start in Ruhpolding

00:02:48

15/01/2023 at 15:37

With a third win of the season, Simon now leads the overall World Cup standings by 141 points from Oeberg, having recorded nine podiums in 12 races this year.

Johannes Thingnes Boe has surpassed that record with a ninth win of the season already, as he led home a Norwegian one-two-three in the men's mass start.

He was pushed hard by Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen, with Boe having to do an extra penalty loop, but he was still able to come home with a comfortable victory.

He said: "My main rival today was Vetle. He was really good on the skis today. I felt it already in the first loop. He was there in the first part and I really had to struggle to catch him. We all know his sprint and there was just one uphill left."

Sturla Holm Laegreid completed the Norwegian clean sweep of the podium ahead of France's Emilien Jacquelin.

Ruhpolding