Fourcade back on top after sprint win in Finland

By Sportsbeat staff

FRENCHMAN Martin Fourcade reclaimed top spot in the IBU Biathlon World Cup with a narrow win in the men's 10k sprint in Kontiolahti, Finland.

BACK ON TOP: Martin Fourcade's win in the sprint returns him to the top of the overall standings

Fourcade, who claimed Olympic silver in Vancouver in 2010, coupled a near-faultless display on the shooting range with some dominant skiing to come home in a time of 24:58.2minutes.

Second on the day was Russia's clean-shooting Timofey Lapshin, nine tenths of a second behind with Switzerland's Benjamin Weger third.

Fourcade was the first competitor out of the gate and laid down the gauntlet to his rivals who all tried in vain to match his time with Norwegian veteran Ole Einar Bjorndalen rolling back the years to claim fourth.

Bjorndalen's compatriot Emil Hegle Svendsen, who had previously topped the overall standings, could only manage 12th on the day meaning Fourcade sits on 720 points, ten clear of the Norwegian.

In the women's 7.5km sprint Germany's Magdalena Neuner continued to reign supreme as she claimed first, stretching her lead in the overall standings to 33 points.

The 25-year-old stormed to victory in a time of 23:07.4minutes, while defending World Cup champion Kaisa Makarainen was second, 12.3seconds back.

Neuner's closest rival in the overall standings Belarus' Darya Domracheva was a further five seconds back in third.

Neuner, a three-time Olympic gold-medallist, now sits on 876 points atop the standings with Domracheva on 843 and Makarainen 733. 

(c) Sportsbeat 2012