Biathlon: Lesser denies Fillon Maillet the record in the Pursuit, Hofer fourteenth

At the last stage of his career Erik Lesser returns to win after six years and prevents the seventh consecutive victory in Quentin Fillon Maillet's race format which would have allowed him to overtake Fourcade. Lukas Hofer, perfect for shooting, recovers from 38th to 14th position.

Saturday 19 March 2022 5 minutes reading time

Spring afternoon for the men's pursuit of Oslo - Holmenkollen with Quentin Fillon Maillet who, starting from the second position, tries to enter the history of Biathlon as the first man to win seven consecutive races, including the Olympics, in this competition format. In the first lap Laegreid manages the advantage built yesterday on the couple formed by Fillon Maillet and Samuelsson and shows up at the shooting range with 23 seconds of advantage; the winner of the Sprint is as perfect at shooting as the two pursuers and gnaws another 5 seconds in the shooting time; Nor are Lesser wrong, at 35 seconds, Nawrath at 44, Christiansen at 53. There are two mistakes by Giacomel who finds himself around the twenty-fifth position with Lukas Hofer (5/5) and Thomas Bormolini (4/5). Laegreid misses the central target of the second session and is approached by a wild Lesser at 11.2, Samuelsson at 13.3 and Nawrath at 27.0. After a penalty round Fillon Maillet is 33 seconds behind Christiansen (10/10). Lukas Hofer finds zero, twenty-fourth at 2.12.6 while an error arrives for Giacomel and Bormolini and the third round of penalty by Dominik Windisch. Laegreid's monologue continues even at the first standing shooting range; still perfect Lesser who follows at 20 seconds, Fillon Maillet follows him at 38.7 while Christiansen misses once who finds himself a minute with Samuelsson paying a double penalty round. There is still a 5/5 from Hofer that goes back to the eighteenth position while a mistake by Giacomel and Bormolini arrives. In the fourth lap Laegreid still stretches on his pursuers but misses twice at the last polygon; Lesser and Fillon Maillet are not wrong. In the last lap the German has to defend 13 seconds from the French and 14 from Laegreid while behind Samuelsson he is 51 seconds behind. Hofer makes no mistake and enters the top 15 with his bib 38. Laegreid and Fillon Maillet fail to catch up on the German in the last lap and the German (0-0-0-0), at the last stage of the World Cup after the announced retirement, gets his first victory after six years, the third in his career, and denies Fillon Maillet's seventh victory (0-1-0-0), second at 9.4. Third Laegreid (0-1-0-2) at 22.7. The Swedish Samuelsson (0-0-2-0) at 1.04.9 arrives in fourth place, fifth at 1.09.7 Christiansen (0-0-1-1) and sixth Ponsiluoma (2-1-0-0) at 1.31 .3. Lukas Hofer (0-0-0-0) is fourteenth, burning Tarje Boe at 2.05.3 in the sprint, twenty-second at 3.18.1 Giacomel (2-1-1-0), twenty-ninth Bormolini (1-1-1-0) to 3.39.2. Dominik Windisch (2-1-2-2) at the farewell step is forty-third.

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