Thursday. Hochfilzen. Just Lowell BAILEY became a world champion. Photo: Reuters

Yesterday in Hochfilzen world champion in the individual race was the 35-year-old American Lowell Bailey.

As we mentioned in the preview to the female “prostitutes” in the framework of the world championship continued in Hochfilzen, this discipline is traditionally the most unpredictable. Right here, in the case of a zero in the column of failures, whatever name and nationality, automatically becomes a contender for piedistallo climbing.

Unless, of course, it’s not a Martin Fourcade: French, with perfect shooting in advance to book a gold medal. But in reporting the race, the current holder of the Big crystal globe recorded his passive just two penalty minutes, and work your legs, equivalent to the average speed of the competitors played only a little over a minute and a half.

Accordingly, left slim chance to get ahead of myself to those who, in addition to the excellent sniper work at the shooting range, still skiing to exploit the conscience. Oddly enough, but there has been just three, and allowed only one mistake – twice. Among them was our Sergei Semenov, who, as it turned out after the finish, had a real chance to become not just a race winner and champion.

It seems that one of the leaders of the men’s team of Ukraine was able to “recharge” to this start in the best way. He flew around the track with incredible ease, and the shooting range flew as focused. Well, like last season, when Semenov is unexpected for all has brought to our country a historic Small crystal globe following the results of individual races. Took to the track for 15-m number, Sergei held a landmark launched earlier Anton Shipulin, Lars Helge Birkeland and Martin Fourcade. But as the Russian and the Frenchman began with near misses already at the first time on the shooting range, the Norwegian was clearly flawed feet, Ukrainian, shoot at “zero”, became a local leader of the race. And after the halfway point of the race the situation has not changed. Since the same ski Semenov was rolled perfectly, and the shooting he worked quickly and confidently, involuntarily beginning to believe in the unbelievable. However, the third shooting still forced to exhale in disappointment – one bullet went wide of the goal…

Next is Sergey were on schedule Fourcade, but, of course, to improve the performance of the famous French failed. However, situational second place is also forced to be patient. Alas, the hopes of the Ukrainian on the podium melted away very soon. First, the fleet-footed German Eric lesser, also with the passive one penalty ahead of our countryman for six seconds, and soon Czech Ondrej moravec was the first of three perfect shooters, came in about 20 seconds is the most Fourcade!

Thus, Semenov had already pushed to the fourth position, but this was not all. The sensation of the entire race (and sensation really science fiction!) took place at the end. When in the back of the Ukrainian rested with his the result of another Czech Michal of Karczmarz, which under perfect shooting wasn’t fast enough, and a group of other strong athletes made mistakes, it seemed that participants of the flower ceremony determined definitively. Especially not jumped it, even the Norwegian Johannes boe, launched one of the last. However, fortune that night his pet decided to choose… a 35-year-old American Lowell Bailey.

Having gone to the already rather podrijetlo the track under the symbolic 100-m number, the American has worked on it with the same utilization factor. Crisp work on all the shooting range, however, win he did not guarantee, as before the decisive round he had the superiority on Moravec’s only 6 seconds. And Czech, looking at the large monitor at the finish, still in nedvuznachno smile. She became more eloquent before the last leg, when out of the handicap and Bailey were only 0.1 seconds. But these are historical in their career m Lowell overcame on supervolley and has snatched the gold, becoming the oldest world champion in all the annals of this competition!

Meanwhile in the Express reviews the official website of the FBU Sergey Semenov tried to explain the reason for the ill-fated mistake, deprived him of the opportunity to receive congratulations instead of Bale: “Until I talked with the coach, it is hard to give a clear answer. Probably my error was. Brought a little to the target. Missed it by “five hours”.

In General, the weather, thought it would be even harder. Very hot still was not enough oxygen. I think in General went pretty smoothly, but the second part of the last round may have started a bit to hang. Trainers guided me and at the time of Shipulin, and “Fourcade”. Before the shooting a bit slower was to confident to shoot…”

Thus, the Ukrainian biathletes of the podium again separated single inaccurate shot. However, as it turned out, yesterday rifle Yulia Jima it happened spontaneously, in the moment of reloading. The coaches explained that this happens occasionally. But very sad that Jim it happened at the world Cup and in the situation when it really is claimed the bronze medal. Well, now there is hope for both classic relay…

Sergey DATSENKO, Sport-Express in Ukraine

HOCHFILZEN (Austria). Championship of the world. 16 Feb. Men. The individual race. 20 km. 1. Bailey (USA) – 48.07,4 (0+0+0+0). 2. Moravec (Czech Republic) – 3,3 (0+0+0+0). 3. M. Fourcade – 21,2 (1+0+1+0). 4. Lesser (Germany) – 32,0 (0+1+0+0). 5. SEMENOV (Ukraine) – 38,6 (0+0+1+0). 6. Krcmar (Czech Republic) – 43,6 (0+0+0+0). 7. Shipulin (Russia) – 43,9 (2+0+0+0). 8. Th.Bø (Norway) – 1.11,9 (0+0+1+1)… 41. PIDRUCHNY – 4.22,7 (1+1+1+1)… 70. TKALENKO – 7.12,1 (0+1+1+3)… 80. FAT (all – Ukraine) – 8.32,1 (1+2+3+1).

Final standings in the individual races. 1. M. Fourcade – 162. 2. Shipulin – 126. 3. Bailey – 117. 4. Th.Be – 115. 5. Birkeland (both – Norway) – 103. 6. Anev (Bulgaria) Is 99. 7. SEMENOV – 88. 8. Veger (Switzerland) Is 84… 39. SEMAKOV – 25.

The overall world Cup standings. 1. M. Fourcade – 980. 2. Shipulin – 647. 3. Schempp (Germany) Is 613. 4. Th.Be – 567. 5. Peiffer (Germany): 519. 6. Bjoerndalen (Norway) – 508. 7. Lesser – 493. 8. Eberhard (Austria) – 491… 19. SEMENOV – 309… 21. PIDRUCHNY – 279… 39. PRIMA – 142… 46. SEMAKOV – 90… 60. KILCHITSKY (Ukraine) is 39.

The Nations Cup. 1. Germany – 5299. 2. Norway – 5121. 3. Russia – 5073. 4. France – 5041. 5. Austria – 4646. 6. Czech Republic – 4362. 7. UKRAINE – 4356. 8. Switzerland – 3868.