ROSA KHUTOR, February 21 (R-Sport) – Powered by twin sisters Vita and Valj Semerenko, Ukraine skied to women’s biathlon relay gold at the Sochi Olympics on Friday, while Russia claimed a silver that gives the nation its greatest-ever total medal haul at a Winter Games.
With Juliya Dzhyma and Olena Pidhrushna also on board, Ukraine completed the 4-by-6-kilometer race around the sunset-bathed Laura biathlon course in one hour, 10 minutes 2.05 seconds, surrendering the lead only briefly to the Italians.
It was Ukraine’s first gold medal of the Sochi Olympics.
The silver went to Russia’s quartet of Olga Zaitseva, Yekaterina Shumilova, Yana Romanova and Olga Vilukhina, 26.4 seconds back. Vilukhina shot quicker than Tora Berger at the penultimate range to move up from the bronze position and hold off the two-time Olympic champion in the final straight.
Berger’s Norway had to settle for third, crossing the line 37.6 seconds behind the Russians.
The medal is Russia’s 24th of the Games, eclipsing the previous best at Lillehammer 1994. It is a third biathlon medal for the hosts after Vilyukhina won silver in the women’s sprint and Evgeny Garanichev took bronze in the men’s individual.
Medal contender France was eliminated from the race early on when Marie Laure Brunet suffered an injury on a fall and withdrew from the race.
The results rule Norway out of what had been an expected relay sweep in Sochi after Ole Einar Bjoerndalen helped his country to mixed relay gold on Thursday.
The men’s relay is Saturday.
