Andrejs Rastorgujev returns to the start
Latvian biathlon’s leading athlete Andrejs Rastorgujevs will join his teammates this weekend at the French track Annecy (Le Grand Bornand), where the third stage of the Biathlon World Cup season will continue. On Friday, the men’s 10-kilometer sprint will be the start of the stage in which Rastorgujev is ready to return after missing the previous stage due to health problems.
The last stage of the World Cup was held in Hochfilzen, Austria, in which Rastorgujev did not start in order to treat the injury sustained in the previous stage and then also falling ill with COVID-19 in Latvia. The return of the biathlete is important news for fans of Latvian winter sports, especially considering that the beginning of the season was already promising.
Latvian starting numbers and results of the beginning of the season
Three Latvian biathletes will take part in the 10 km sprint scheduled for Friday. Andrejs Rastorgujevs has received the 40th starting number. His teammates will be Renars Birkenthal, who has been assigned the sixth starting number, and Aleksandrs Patryuks, who will start as the 95th biathlete. In total, 107 athletes have applied for the sprint.
Before the injury, Rastorgujev showed a good performance in the first stage of the season in Esteshund, Sweden. There he finished 9th in the 20-kilometer individual race with one minute penalty, which marked a promising start to the season. However, in the sprint competition at the same stage, due to a lack of speed, the 33rd place was achieved.
Renard Birkenthal, 24, finished 34th in the sprint at the previous stage in France (presumably a previous version of this stage or another stage that took place before the release), securing a place in the pursuit, where he finished 39th, committing four shooting faults in both events. Aleksandrs Patryuks ranked 91st in this previous stage of France.
Annecy stage context and previous results
The Biathlon World Cup in Annecy runs from December 18 to 21, with women’s and men’s sprints, the pursuit and, as noted, the men’s mass start scheduled for Sunday. On Friday, a 7.5 km sprint for women took place, in which Baiba Bendika took 27th place.
Andrejs Rastorgujev has won three podiums in individual competitions at the World Cup, including silver in the sprint in Kontiolahti 2017/2018. in the season of the year. Although he is known as one of the fastest skiers, his success in recent years has also often depended on the accuracy of his shooting.
Upcoming competition in Annecy
Friday’s 10km sprint will be a qualifying race for Saturday’s pursuit, which will feature the top 60 sprint finishers. For Latvian athletes, especially Rastorgujev, this start is a significant opportunity to regain positions in the World Cup standings, where he is currently, judging by the latest data, in 39th place.
Despite having previously finished 28th in the Annecy sprint, Rastorgujev is now hoping for a more consistent performance as this stage marks the beginning of the mid-point of the season before a break and return to the start in Germany and the Czech Republic.
In 2023, Renārs Birkentāls achieved his career record in the sprint – 27th place on the same Anse track.
