As described in the race report, the German town of Oberhof finally got some much-needed snow on Thursday – it just happened to come as a blizzard during the World Cup men’s relay held that evening. With both significant snow accumulation and huge gusts of wind hitting the course, the biathletes struggled through with an unusually high number of spare rounds and penalty loops.
Italy eventually took the win, with Russia and Sweden rounding out the podium.
The following photos are courtesy of Fischer and NordicFocus. Click photos to enlarge or view as a slide show.
The Italian team combined for just five missed shots and avoided the penalty loop completely. It was their first win in any World Cup men’s competition in 12 years.
Frederik Lindström racing at a biathlon World Cup in 2012. Today, he raced without a rifle on his back for the first time in six years – and came out on top. Photo: Fischer/nordicfocus.com.
IBU race director Franz Berger was among the many workers attempting to clear snow from the shooting mats throughout the race.
Markus Windisch raced the second leg for the winning Italian team.
The snow dampened the lights on the course, which were essential given the race’s 6:20 p.m. start time.
Andreas Birnbacher of Germany leads Martin Eng of Norway through fresh powder in the stadium.
