PYEONGCHANG (South Korea), Feb 14: Ole Einar Bjorndalen led a Norwegian sweep in the men’s 10-kilometre sprint on the opening day of the Biathlon World Championships, while Germany’s Kati Wilhelm won the women’s race.

Bjorndalen missed two targets but still won his 11th world title by finishing in 24 minutes, 16.5 seconds to edge compatriot Lars Berger by just 1.2 seconds. Hanevold Halvard, another Norwegian, was 12.5 seconds back in third.

Berger was a late replacement for overall World Cup leader Emil Hegle Svendsen, who pulled out shortly before the race because of illness.

Wilhelm shot cleanly and finished the 7K race in 21:11.1, 9.9 seconds ahead of team-mate Simone Hauswald, who also hit all targets. Olga Zaitseva of Russia was third, 27.1 seconds behind Wilhelm, also with a clean shoot.

Germany also had Andrea Henkel in sixth place and Magdalena Neuner in eighth. Neuner had the fastest course time but was set back by three missed shots.

The 32-year-old Wilhelm cried on the podium after securing her first individual world championships gold in eight years.

“The medal ceremony was quite the same,” Wilhelm said, laughing. “It was a long time and I worked hard to come back on the podium in the world champs.”

Hard rain and warm temperatures on Friday depleted the race tracks in the resort town of Pyeongchang, forcing training and the opening ceremony to be cancelled.

Results:

Women’s 7.5kms sprint:

1 Kati Wilhelm (GER) 21:11.1 0 penalty; 2 Simone Hauswald (GER) at 9.9 0; 3. Olga Zaitseva (RUS) 27.1 0; 4 Anna Boulygina (RUS) 53.3 0; 5 Helena Jonsson (SWE) 54.7 1; 6 Andrea Henkel (GER) 55.0 2; 7 Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK) 1:07.3 1; 8 Magdalena Neuner (GER) 1:08.5 3; 9 Olga

Nazarova (BLR) 1:26.3 1; 10 Sandrine Bailly (FRA) 1:27.0 1.

Overall Sprint standings after seven out of 10 races:

1 Kati Wilhelm (GER) 264 points; 2 Magdalena Neuner (GER) 261; 3 Tora Berger (NOR) 253; 4 Helena Jonsson (SWE) 248; 5 Svetlana Sleptsova (RUS) 235.

Overall World Cup standings after 15 out of 26 races:

1 Kati Wilhelm (GER) 604 points; 2 Helena Jonsson (SWE) 561; 3 Magdalena Neuner (GER) 560; 4 Svetlana Sleptsova (RUS) 504; 5 Tora Berger (NOR) 482.Men’s 10kms sprint:

1 Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (NOR) 24:16.5 2 penalties; 2. Lars Berger (NOR) at 1.2 2; 3 Halvard Hanevold (NOR) 12.5 0; 4. Alexander Os (NOR) 24.6 1; 5 Maxim Tchoudov (RUS) 29.1 0; 6 Simon Fourcade (FRA) 50.1 1; 7 Michael Greis (GER) 53.7 2; 8 Simon Eder (AUT) 59.2 1; 9 Simon Hallenbarter (SUI) 1:11.9 1; 10 Janez Maric (SLO) 1:19.0 1.

Overall sprint standings after seven out of 10 races:

1 Tomasz Sikora (POL) 283 points; 2 Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) 245; 3 Alexander Os (NOR) 240; 4 Maxim Tchoudov (RUS) 219; 5 Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (NOR) 210.

World Cup overall standings after 15 out of 26 races:

1 Tomasz Sikora (POL) 583 points; 2 Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) 570; 3 Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (NOR) 510; 4 Maxim Tchoudov (RUS) 488; 5 Carl-Johan Bergman (SWE) 463.—Agencies