HOCHFILZEN, Austria, December 7 (R-Sport) - Ukraine won the opening women's 4x6km relay of the biathlon World Cup season in Hochfilzen, Austria, on Saturday.
The quartet of Juliya Dzhyma, Olena Pidhrushna and sisters Vita and Valj Semerenko finished the course a minute and four seconds ahead of Germany, whose team held off France by a tenth of a second for silver.
Russia, anchored by two-time Olympic champion Olga Zaitseva, was edged off the podium into fourth place, six seconds adrift.
Belarus had a surprise early lead wiped out by the Germans, whose own challenge faltered when Franziska Hildebrand missed three shots and paid for it with a penalty loop. Ukraine's Valj Semerenko took full advantage and Pidhrushna stretched out the lead slightly on the anchor leg.
There are just four women's relay stages in this season's schedule, with the next slated for Annecy, France, next week. Ukraine came second in the 2012-13 season, with Norway the winner, Germany third and Russia fourth.
