Biathlon: “The goal was a top 10 finish”, reveals Slovenian coach Janez Maric
This Saturday lunchtime, the women’s relay was on the programme of the biathlon world championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland). The Slovenian team finished in eighth place after a long spell on the podium.
Everything started well for Slovenia with Lena Repinc‘s first relay. She used two picks in a prone position, but with a perfect upright, she passed the baton to Anamarija Lampic in a fine eighth place.
“I’m happy with my relay, with the exception of the prone shot, where I made two more mistakes, which I don’t like at all. Standing up, I was confident with a fast clear round. I also ran very well, it was only in the last lap that I started to suffer. Despite everything, I fought hard and stayed in touch with the competition, which was a good starting point for Ana. It was a really great match,” explained Lena Repinc in a press release from the Slovenian Ski Association.
As usual, Anamarija Lampic was very fast on the track and, this time, equally reliable on the shooting range. She had a clear round on the floor. Standing was a little more difficult with three picks. But she still managed to hand over the relay in an excellent second place.
“The conditions on the track were very difficult, the track is soft and slow. In terms of shooting. I’m very satisfied,” she said.
Polona Klemencic then took over in second place. With a 10/10 behind the rifle, she retained second place for Slovenia before the final relay.
“I set my own pace on the track. I opted for a race pace that would always be fast, but that would allow me to be reliable on the shooting range. I’m very happy with my performance, even with the rapid fire, “ enthused the biathlete.
It was then Ziva Klemencic ‘s turn to face the greatest challenge of her career. She managed to stay in touch on the prone shot, which she left in fourth place. She then moved on to the standing shot to challenge for a bronze medal. On this shot, she was obliged to take a penalty lap and lost all hope of a podium finish.
“I have to admit that it was the most difficult scenario I could have imagined, she says. I felt a lot of pressure before the start. If all the balls had gone in, it would have been an ideal day, but I think we can be very satisfied and I’m very grateful to my team-mates.”
A performance that fully satisfies Slovenian coach Janez Maric, who praises his athletes’ race: “To be honest, the objective was a top 10 finish. We made the right choice with the line-up today, with the top three girls at the front the whole time. But I must also congratulate Ziva [Klemencic, editor’s note]. She surprised me with the way she fought on the track, I’d never seen her fight like that before.”
It was a remarkable race for the Slovenian team, who had already managed a fine fourth place in this event at the World Cup in Hochfilzen (Austria) at the start of the season.
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