Canada’s Zina Kocher finishes third at World Cup biathlon season opener
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/11/2006 (7237 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OSTERSUND, Sweden (CP) – Zina Kocher of Red Deer, Alta., made her first career appearance on a World Cup biathlon podium Wednesday, finishing third in the 15-kilometre event.
Kocher, 23, had two missed targets and finished in 51 minutes 4.5 seconds. She was 23.3 seconds behind winner Irina Malgina of Russia. Liv Kjersti Eikeland of Norway was second in 50:44.8.
Kocher is the first Canadian to win a World Cup medal since Olympic gold medallist Myriam Bedard won a silver in’95.
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment every day for years and everything happened exactly the way it was supposed too,” said Kocher. “I had the same nerves and anxiety that I always do today but I just went to the race relaxed.
“I crossed that line and started waving my poles in the air. It is unbelievable.”
It was the first event of the World Cup season. Kocher’s previous best was a fifth-place finish in the pursuit last season. She has been on the national team since 2000.
“The smile on my face was so huge when I left the shooting range for the final time,” said Kocher. “When I stepped onto the podium, the medal and money meant nothing to me. It reminded me of the dedication, hard work, focus and determination to get to this point and put our sport back in the public eye.”
Marie-Pierre Parent of St-Paul de Joliette, Que., was 69th while Calgary’s Sandra Keith was 70th.
Malgina, 33, a member of Russia’s winning relay team in last season’s world championships, also made her first podium appearance in an individual race.
Eikeland, who was also on the podium for the first time, missed one target.
“I didn’t expect this,” said Eikeland, whose previous best was a seventh-place finish. “I was very tired on the last lap and had to concentrate a lot to stay on my skis on the downhill stretches. That’s probably where I lost it.”
Olympic champion Anna Carin Olofsson of Sweden had six misses and wound up 20th.
“I’m not so disappointed,” Olofsson said. “I skied well and my shooting is always so-so in the beginning of the season.”
The men will compete Thursday. The meet ends Sunday.