The Italian Lisa Vittozzi won the sprint Thursday in Canmore, Canada, ahead of Lou Jeanmonnot and took the opportunity to fall, in the general classification of the Biathlon World Cup, on the Norwegian Ingrid Tandrevold, only 17th. The podium is entirely occupied by biathletes who scored 10 out of 10 against the targets: Vittozzi won with a 5 sec 5/10th lead over Jeanmonnot, and 8 sec 6/10th over the Swiss Lena Haecki-Gross.
With a shooting error, Julia Simon finished fourth, at 19 sec 4/10th. The worst scenario is emerging for Tandrevold in the battle for the big crystal globe: only 17th with 1 min 1 sec 6/10th behind, after two missed targets, one lying down and one standing, the Norwegian sees Vittozzi, until then in ambush, pounce on her two races from the end of the season.
Before Saturday’s pursuit – which will be launched with the gaps inherited from the sprint – and Sunday’s mass start, Tandrevold is only seven points ahead of her Italian rival (988 pts against 981), when a victory brings 90 .
Behind this duo, three French women stand within twelve points in the general classification: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, with 915 points, Simon, the holder of the big crystal globe, with 908 points, and Jeanmonnot, with 903 points.
Braisaz-Bouchet, who started with bib 1 and made a mistake on the shooting range, was ranked eighth in the sprint, at 31 sec 6/10th, and Gilonne Guigonnat eleventh with a ten out of ten, at 43 sec 9 /10th from Vittozzi.