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!
Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK).
Sanna Markkanen (FIN) and Hannah Dreissigacker (USA).
The men’s relay snakes up a hill.
The men’s field reaches the top of the course’s biggest hill.
The second leg of the men’s relay in prone.
Lowell Bailey (USA) in second behind Daniel Boehm (GER).
The third leg of the women’s relay on the range for standing.
Gabriela Soukalova (CZE) interviewed about her subpar relay leg, which dropped her team from 2nd to 7th.
Men ski through a tunnel.
Lowell Bailey (USA) on his first time through the stadium.
Ann Kristin Flatland (NOR) and Marie Laure Brunet (FRA) in the pack.
Evgeniy Ustyugov (RUS) and Jena Guillaume Beatrix (FRA).
The start of the men’s relay.
Mari Laukkanen (FIN).
Kaisa Makarainen (FIN).
Irina Starykh (RUS) on her way to a World Cup podium earlier this season in Hochfilzen, Austria.
Dominik Windisch (ITA), Vladimir Chepelin (BLR), and Ole Einar Bjørndalen (NOR).
Nadezhda Skardino (BLR) was the first to tag off after the first leg of the women’s relay.
The men’s field, with Daniel Boehm (GER) in the lead, attacks an uphill.
the men’s field skis towards the big hill.
Early in the men’s relay.
Veronika Vitkova (CZE) and Ekaterina Glazyrina (RUS) at the front as the women’s relay kicks off.
Juliya Dzhyma (UKR) leads a pack on the first leg.
Rosanna Crawford (CAN).
Alexey Volkov (RUS) on the first leg of the relay.
Vita Semerenko (UKR) takes off from the range.
Some fans requested to have their photo taken…
The second leg of the men’s relay in standing shooting.
Alexis Boeuf (FRA) and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen (NOR).
The start of the women’s relay.
Tim Burke (USA) leaving the range.
Marie Laure Brunet (FRA) in the lead.
Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen (NOR) leads Lowell Bailey (USA) on the first loop.
Ann Kristin Flatland (NOR) leads the women’s field down a hill.
Christoph Sumann (AUT) chases up the hill.
Synnøve Solemdal (NOR) and Karin Oberhofer (ITA).
Susan Dunklee (USA, left) on a downhill.
Sara Studebaker (USA).
Megan Heinicke (CAN) and Hannah Dreissigacker (USA).
![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")
