TNT Sports
Golden hat-trick for Greis
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Published 25/02/2006 at 10:50 GMT
Germany's Michael Greis triumphed in the first-ever Olympic Mass Start on Saturday to complete a hat-trick of gold medals at the Games. The German profited from wayward shooting by leader Ole Einar Bjoerndalen on the final visit to the range to outski Pol
Eurosport
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After wins in the Individual and the relay, Greis would have had hopes of taking a medal in the Mass Start, but as Bjoerndalen and Sikora came into the final shoot with a healthy advantage, the German is unlikely to have been realistically considering it would be a gold.
Bjoerndalen had seen challengers come and go after two perfect prone shoots, but a miss on the first standing shoot saw Sikora head out of the range on the Norwegian's coattails and Greis - also missing once - over half a minute back.
But after a cat-and-mouse ski in testing snow conditions, Bjoerndalen and Sikora both cracked on the final visit to the range - Bjoerndalen missing twice and Sikora once to open the door for Greis.
Sikora emerged from the range just ahead of the shot-perfect German, but the Pole - 1995 Individual world champion - paid the price for going toe-to-toe with Bjoerndalen, seeing Greis ease by as his legs betrayed him to finish six seconds down.
"If someone told me this morning I'd win a third goal medal I'd have said 'That would be great' because I was actually feeling pretty tired before the race," Greis said.
SIZZLING CHARGE
Bjoerndalen - hell-bent on claiming gold after an Individual and Pursuit silver - produced a sizzling final charge in a bid to rob Sikora of silver, but despite shaving off the seconds came up short.
Finland's sole biathlete in Turin, Paavo Puurunen, shot clear to secure fourth ahead of Russia veteran Sergei Tchepikov - equally flawless on the range.
Norwegian hot prospect Emil Svendsen was sixth despite two missed targets with Halvard Hanevold recovering from three early errors to come home seventh ahead of early leader Alex Wolf.
Sprint gold medallist Vincent Defrasne recovered from a fall metres from the start to claim 11th despite four missed targets, with compatriot Raphael Poiree tucked in behind with two misses compromising his chances of a maiden Olympic gold.
Pursuit champion Sven Fischer trailed in a fatigued 17th with Norway's Frode Andresen racking up a woeful six misses, but using his phenomenal ski speed to finish 19th.
Men's Mass Start results
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