Biathlon World Cup: Austria’s women 8th in relay; men disappoint in pursuit

Austria’s biathletes missed a podium in front of 10,000 fans at the Hochfilzen home World Cup.

Women’s relay (4x6 km): - Line-up: Anna Gandler → Anna Andexer → Anna Juppe → Lisa Hauser. - Start: Gandler put Austria into second behind Sweden. - Middle legs: Andexer kept Austria within reach of the podium before Juppe lost contact with the leaders. - Anchor: Fighting only for sixth, Hauser incurred two penalty loops, dropping the team to 8th at the finish. - Winners: Sweden, ahead of Norway and Germany.

Reaction: - Lisa Hauser: An 8th place is “not good but not terrible.” She took risks at the range—“all or nothing”—but two penalty loops cost places. - Head coach Reinhard Gösweiner: The team needs time; a podium is possible with patience.

Men’s pursuit (12.5 km): - Best Austrian: Simon Eder in 30th with three penalty loops. He felt his skiing shape was strong but the result was disappointing. “I’d rather be 15th and the third-best Austrian,” said the 42‑year‑old. - Others: David Komatz 50th; Fabian Müllauer was lapped after nine shooting errors and removed from classification. - Winner: France’s Eric Perrot (clean shooting) beat sprint winner Tommaso Giacomel (1 penalty) by 10 seconds; Norway’s Johan‑Olav Botn was third.

What’s next: - Sunday: Pursuits for the women (Juppe 18th, Andexer 31st, Hauser 41st, Gandler 48th on the start list) and men’s relay. Hauser said the skiing form is good; the key is finding shooting confidence overnight after her recent mass start win in Östersund.