Svendsen returns as Norway win men's relay
BySportsbeat
Updated 16/02/2013 at 20:41 GMT
Emil Hegle Svendsen returned from a sore throat at the Biathlon World Championships to ensure Norway's fine tradition in the men's relay continued with a fourth successive win in Nove Mesto.
svendsen
Image credit: Imago
The 27-year-old opted out of Thursday's 20km individual after a bought of illness, that preventing him from potentially claiming every gold medal on offer to him in the Czech Republic.
However, with Svendsen returning for the men's 4x7.5km relay, it was back to winning ways as he claimed a fourth goal medal after wins in the mixed relay and the sprint and the pursuit.
It was also Norway and Svendsen's fourth men's relay medal in a row with their quartet dominating the field to once again force Frenchman Martin Fourcade to settle for silver, his fourth.
The Norwegian quartet of Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Henrik L'Abee-Lund, Tarjei Boe and Svendsen combined to clock a winning time of 1:15:39.0hours in Nove Mesto.
That was well over a minute of Fourcade and France while Germany were less than six seconds behind them to occupy the final spot on the podium in the men's relay.
The lead was shared by several nations over the first 7.5km with Germany leading the host nation, Norway and Russia after the first exchange after shooting clear.
By the second though Norway held a narrow lead over Germany, who once again were perfect in the range, with L'Abee-Lund hitting all of his targets after Bjoerndalen missed three.
From thereon in Norway were not to be challenged as Boe handed over to Svendsen with the lead at over 16 seconds before it ended at well over a minute.
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