This year’s first fixture at Rudno Polje will be a 20K individual men race, starting today at 14:15. Biathletes will ski the four-kilometre circuit five times and visit a shooting range four times, twice prone, twice standing. For each missed shot, an extra minute is added to the contestant’s time.
Last season, France’s Martin Fourcade emerged victorious at this distance in Pokljuka. He is also one of the main favourites this year as he is coming to Slovenia as the leader in the overall World Cup standings, and also won the opening race of the season at this distance in Sweden.
Germany’s Johannes Kuehn and Simon Eder of Austria also stood on the podium last year, with Jakov Fak claiming the fourth place for Slovenia. After a short break, the last season’s hero Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Bø is also returning to the biathlon competitions.
Fourcade has number 29. His compatriots Quentin Fillon Maillet and Simon Desthieux who follow him in the overall standing will start 32nd and fourth among 109 competitors, while Johannes Thingnes Bø will attack with number 17.
