Otepää, Estonia – Latvian biathlete Rihards Lozbers achieved a significant milestone on Saturday, securing a career-best 31st place finish in the 12.5-kilometer pursuit race at the World Cup in Otepää, Estonia. The result also marked the first time Lozbers has earned World Cup points. The competition was notably impacted by challenging, gusty wind conditions during the shooting stages.
Renārs Birkentāls finished 37th, while Andrejs Rastorgujevs placed 42nd. Lozbers completed the course with five penalty laps, Birkentāls incurred four penalties, and Rastorgujevs had six.
The race was dominated by Norway’s Sturla Holm Lægreid, who started from the lead and maintained his position throughout, despite one penalty in the shooting. Lægreid finished in 34 minutes and 41 seconds, a full two minutes, and 33.4 seconds ahead of France’s Émilien Jacquelin. Martin Uldals of Norway secured third place, another 13.3 seconds behind, despite also accumulating five penalty laps.
Lozbers, after the finish, expressed his satisfaction with his performance in the difficult conditions. Speaking with Latvian Television, he admitted to a mistake in his breathing rhythm during the first shooting round but quickly adjusted his focus for subsequent shooting stages.
Experienced Rastorgujevs started from 36th position, one minute and 48 seconds behind Lægreid. Lozbers, making his debut in a World Cup pursuit race, began 47th, two minutes and two seconds off the leader’s pace. Birkentāls had the last starting position, 60th overall.
Rastorgujevs incurred two penalty laps in the first prone shooting, dropping him to 45th place. Lozbers faced a more challenging start, accumulating three penalties in the prone shooting and falling to 58th. Birkentāls also had a penalty, but only one, moving him up to 47th.
Although, the second shooting stage saw Rastorgujevs successfully hit all targets while lying prone, climbing to 35th place. Birkentāls, after a single penalty lap, moved to 46th, one position ahead of Lozbers, who shot cleanly in the second stage.
The unpredictable wind made clean shooting a rarity, but Lægreid remained consistent, hitting all targets in the first three shooting rounds and solidifying his lead.
Rastorgujevs was forced to ski two penalty laps after the third shooting stage, dropping him back to 42nd place, immediately behind Lozbers, who had been slowed by one penalty lap after the first standing shooting. Birkentāls incurred two penalty laps, continuing the race in 46th position.
Lozbers, in the final standing shooting, missed only his first shot and completed the stage with one penalty lap, moving up to 35th place. Rastorgujevs, after two penalty laps, fell to 41st, while Birkentāls shot cleanly, propelling him to 37th.
Following the race, Rastorgujevs told Latvian Television that the changeable and gusty wind made the competition interesting and unpredictable. He specifically noted that the wind’s varying strength during the standing shooting stages made accurate shooting particularly difficult.
“It was interesting in the standing shooting – you come into the shooting range and the wind blows from one side, then it calms down a bit, then it blows again. The rifle walks left and right, left and right. Whoever got luckier, whoever could concentrate more,” Rastorgujevs said. “However, the course itself isn’t easy either, so it was quite windy on the track as well.”
Latvian biathlon coach Intars Berkulis predicted a challenging day before the race, emphasizing the potential impact of the variable wind on shooting performance. The air temperature in Otepää reached 14 degrees Celsius, and organizers received praise for preparing a high-quality track despite the difficult conditions.
Later on Saturday, the women’s pursuit race will take place, with Estere Volfa and Baiba Bendika representing Latvia. The eighth stage of the Biathlon World Cup season will conclude on Sunday with a mixed relay and a 1+1 pair relay.
Following the competition in Otepää, the final World Cup stage will begin on March 19th in Holmenkollen, Norway.
This marks a significant step forward for the young Latvian biathlete, Lozbers, demonstrating his potential on the world stage. His ability to adapt to challenging conditions and secure his first World Cup points is a promising sign for the future of Latvian biathlon.
Next up, the focus shifts to the women’s pursuit and the relay events, offering further opportunities for the Latvian team to showcase their talent. Fans can follow the results and updates on the official Biathlon World Cup website.
