Programs
Competitions
Venues
Access
A la carte
Photo Album
From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow
 |
Germany wins women's biathlon relay
 |
13:00- Start
Third runner Katrin Apel gave Germany the lead with the fourth best run of the day Thursday as the three-time world champions cruised home for the gold medal in the women's relay at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games.
Apel, the bronze medalist in the women's sprint event Sunday, completed her run over the Nozawa Onsen course in 24 minutes, 39.2 seconds to lift the German team from third to first as they glided home with the gold medal with an aggregate time of 1:40:13.6
The other members of the Olympic champion team include sprint silver medalist Ursula Disl, Martina Zellner and anchor Petra Behle.
''We got the silver (in 1992) and now the gold. It's wonderful that we have them together as a team,'' Disl said, adding that personally, ''This is the greatest success for me ever -- the best thing that can ever happen in an athlete's life.''
Russia grabbed the silver with a 1:40:25.2, largely on the strength of sprint gold medalist Galina Koukleva's second run of 24:27.2, the second fastest run of the day over the 7.5-kilometer course.
Norway anchor Liv Grete Skjelbreid turned in Thursday's third fastest time with a 24:34.3 as the Norwegians, runners-up a year ago in the world championships, took the bronze medal with 1:40:37.3.
Surprise leader through the first two legs, Slovakia ended up in fourth place with 1:41:20.6, ahead of Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
Japan's Mami Homma had the host country in fifth place after the first leg with a 25:31.2, but subsequent runners Hiromi Seino, Mie Takeda and Ryoko Takahashi each lost ground until Japan was left in 14th place with a 1:46:23.0. (Kyodo News)
Results of biathlon women's 4x7.5-kilometer relay Thursday at the 18th Olympic Winter Games at Biathlon Venue, Nozawa Onsen, Nagano Prefecture:
1. Germany (Ursula Disl, Martina Zellner, Katrin Apel, Petra Behle)
1 hour, 40 minutes 13.6 seconds
2. Russia (Olga Melnik, Galina Koukleva, Albina Akhatova, Olga Romasko) 1:40:25.2
3. Norway (Ann-Elen Skjelbreid, Annette Sikveland, Gunn Andreassen, Liv Skjelbreid) 1:40:37.3
4. Slovakia (Martina Schwarzbacherova, Anna Murinova, Tatiana Kutlikova, Sona Mihokova) 1:41:20.6
5. Ukraine (Valentina Tserbe-Nessina, Elena Petrova, Tatiana Vodopianova, Elena Zubrilova) 1:42:32.6
6. Czech Republic (Katerina Losmanova, Irena Cesnekova, Jirina Pelcova, Eva Hakova) 1:43:20.5
7. China (Yu Shumei, Sun Ribo, Liu Jinfeng, Liu Xianying)
1:43:32.6
8. France (Christelle Gros, Emmanuelle Claret, Florence Baverel, Corinne Niogret) 1:43:54.6
9. Slovenia (Lucija Larisi, Andreja Grasic, Matejka Mohoric, Tadeja Brankovic) 1:44:18.8
10. Sweden (Maria Schylander, Magdalena Forsberg, Kristina Brouneus, Eva-Karin Westin) 1:44:50.8
-----
11. Kazakstan (Inna Sheshkil, Margarita Doulova, Yelena Dubok, Liodmila Gourieva) 1:45:22.9
14. Japan (Mami Homma, Hiromi Seino, Mie Takeda, Ryoko Takahashi)
1:46:23.0
No part of the article, photographs, or illustrations presented here may be printed or used without permission.
Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun