The men’s field reaches the top of the course’s biggest hill.
HOCHFILZEN, Austria – The men’s and women’s World Cup biathlon relays brought excitement to this small town on Saturday – along with a lot of fans. Announcers reported that the crowd of 40,000+ spectators was the largest they had ever had for a regular World Cup race (the venue has also twice hosted World Championships).
The Ukraine women’s team flexed their muscle at the start of the day, taking over the lead halfway through and never relinquishing it, skiing to a one minute victory. Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier outsprinted France’s Anais Bescond for second.
In the men’s race, Norway staged one of its usual comebacks to take yet another win, while Sweden was a more improbable presence on the podium – after a slow start, the team used exceptional shooting, a blazing fast leg from Fredrik Lindström, and a furious finishing sprint from Carl Johan Bergman to shoot past Russia’s Dmitry Malyshko and into second place.
The trains of skiers were picturesque and beautiful as they moved through the venue’s wide-open landscape and up its snaking hills. A heavy snowstorm came through partway through the men’s relay, meaning we didn’t snap any photos from the second half of the race – but enjoy these images from the women’s race and the start of the men’s!
Mari Laukkanen (FIN).
Irina Starykh (RUS) on her way to a World Cup podium earlier this season in Hochfilzen, Austria.
Some fans requested to have their photo taken…
Sara Studebaker (USA).
Kaisa Makarainen (FIN).
Veronika Vitkova (CZE) and Ekaterina Glazyrina (RUS) at the front as the women’s relay kicks off.
Rosanna Crawford (CAN).
the men’s field skis towards the big hill.
Early in the men’s relay.
Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen (NOR) leads Lowell Bailey (USA) on the first loop.
Susan Dunklee (USA, left) on a downhill.
Megan Heinicke (CAN) and Hannah Dreissigacker (USA).
The third leg of the women’s relay on the range for standing.
Marie Laure Brunet (FRA) in the lead.
Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK).
Juliya Dzhyma (UKR) leads a pack on the first leg.
Alexey Volkov (RUS) on the first leg of the relay.
Lowell Bailey (USA) on his first time through the stadium.
Synnøve Solemdal (NOR) and Karin Oberhofer (ITA).
Evgeniy Ustyugov (RUS) and Jena Guillaume Beatrix (FRA).
The men’s relay snakes up a hill.
Ann Kristin Flatland (NOR) and Marie Laure Brunet (FRA) in the pack.
Sanna Markkanen (FIN) and Hannah Dreissigacker (USA).
The start of the men’s relay.
Alexis Boeuf (FRA) and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen (NOR).
Ann Kristin Flatland (NOR) leads the women’s field down a hill.
The start of the women’s relay.
Christoph Sumann (AUT) chases up the hill.
The men’s field reaches the top of the course’s biggest hill.
Tim Burke (USA) leaving the range.
The second leg of the men’s relay in prone.
Dominik Windisch (ITA), Vladimir Chepelin (BLR), and Ole Einar Bjørndalen (NOR).
Gabriela Soukalova (CZE) interviewed about her subpar relay leg, which dropped her team from 2nd to 7th.
The men’s field, with Daniel Boehm (GER) in the lead, attacks an uphill.
Nadezhda Skardino (BLR) was the first to tag off after the first leg of the women’s relay.
The second leg of the men’s relay in standing shooting.
Lowell Bailey (USA) in second behind Daniel Boehm (GER).
![The men's field reaches the top of the course's biggest hill.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/12/top-of-the-uphill.jpg")
