The BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup stage in Otepää continued today with women's sprint, where Julia Simon (0+1) from France was crowned the winner. Vanessa Voigt (0+0) from Germany finished second and Karoline Knotten (0+0) from Norway came in third place.
Voigt, who claimed her first-ever World Cup podium, said that she had not initially believed that she could win a medal this season. “I knew that I would be successful in the shooting range, but at the same time I also knew I still had to improve my skiing time and shooting speed. I really didn’t expect this medal,” she described and added that she was very happy with her second place.
Voigt stated that Tehvandi's ski track was difficult, but after the first lap she had realized that she had enough strength to speed up. “I tried to give more and more with every lap,” she described. The crowd’s support also gave a lot of energy. “I really like that the spectators here cheer loudly for everybody,” Voigt commented.
At the finish, Voigt was greeted by her twin brother Kevin, who is a freelance photographer. For anyone who watches well-known athletes on social media such as Johannes Thingnes Bø, Quentin Fillon Maillet or Marte Olesbu Røiseland, Kevin Voigt's name should be familiar for years already. Many top biathlon athletes use the images taken by Vanessa's twin brother, because Kevin and his camera do not miss any World Cup stage. On Saturday, March 12, Kevin will again have the chance to greet his sister at the finish when mass starts for men and women are scheduled