CESANA, Italy (AP) _ Anna Carin Olofsson of Sweden took advantage
of a week-long rest and a mid-race cushion to win gold Saturday in
the 12.5-kilometre mass start, biathlon's premier event.
Olofsson, in her first Olympics as a biathlete after competing in
cross-country skiing at Salt Lake City, finished 18.8 seconds ahead
of Kati Wilhelm and 41.9 in front of Uschi Disl, both of Germany.
There were no Canadians in the event.
Olofsson added to her silver medal in the sprint and because the
Swedes did not have a team in the relay race, she had a full week
off, helping her dominate the competition on the high-altitude,
highly technical San Sicario course.
At the first standing shoot, Olofsson was so quick and accurate
she added a 24-plus second cushion ahead of Wilhelm and later
enjoyed a lead of nearly 35 seconds.
It was a gap the former cross country skier ended up needing when
she was forced to ski a 150-metre penalty lap for missing one of
five shots on her final shoot.
Wilhelm pulled within 9.6 seconds of the leader but was unable to
get closer.
The mass start, featuring the top 30 competitors in biathlon and
no Americans, is the ultimate race in the sport combining the rigor
of cross-country skiing with the calm precision of rifle
marksmanship. With all the competitors starting at the same time,
there's the added elements of jockeying and tactical risks on the
loops.
Although it hasn't been approved for the Vancouver Games, the
International Olympic Committee was on hand Saturday to evaluate the
men's and women's races for 2010.
