Dmytro Pidruchnyi, 27, won the Biathlon World Championship pursuit race in Östersund, Sweden, becoming the first Ukrainian male biathlete world champion on March 10.
The Biathlon World Championship, which is taking place from March 6-17, is the most prestigious biathlon tournament, second only to the Winter Olympic Games.
Pidruchnyi crossed the 12.5-kilometer distance in 31.54 minutes, 8 seconds ahead of six-time World champion Johannes Thingnes Bø from Norway, who finished second. Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet came third almost 20 seconds behind Pidruchnyi.
He can’t quite believe it — Ukraine’s Dmytro Pidruchnyi is your new World Champion in the pursuit – after missing out on a sprint medal by 0.3 seconds! 🇺🇦💪
Watch the 12.5km men’s pursuit in #2019Ostersund live on https://t.co/bk5aBBso9Q pic.twitter.com/Gaf0uDKKgV
— IBU World Cup (@IBU_WC) March 10, 2019
On March 9, Pidruchnyi came fourth in the championship’s sprint race, finishing 0.3 seconds behind Maillet.
Pidruchnyi began his professional career since 2012. Before Pidruchnyi’s victory, the Ukrainian male biathlete team enjoyed limited success winning a total of three bronze medals at world championships.
Ukrainian women had more success over the years receiving a total of six gold medals, ten silver medals and 16 bronze medals at the world championships throughout history. Their main victory came during the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, during which Ukraine’s female team won both a gold and a silver medal.
