Right. So the Biathletes don't carry their rifles around with them on their backs. Instead the coaches look after the rifles, and carry them back and forward to the lane when the Biathlete is in the shooting range.
You know, I never thought about it before, but that makes a lot of sense. Like, it must be very difficult for amputees (be it arms or legs) to get a rifle on and off their back at the best of times, never mind doing it at speed.
And having a stand to put the rifles onto (just like in those arcade games) makes sense too. Even if the targets are closer than in able-bodied Biathlon, you would still need to be unimaginably steady to shoot a target that small one-handed. I know I wouldn't be able to!
Anyway, onto the race itself.
Now although they were not racing each other on time, there was a very exciting race to be first across the line between the Russian Natalia BRATIUK and the Ukrainian Liudmyla LIASHENKO. Bratiuk led it coming into the last corner. but, they came out of the corner side-by-side and there was a mad race for the line. Liashenko just got across the line first, but because they started 1m30s apart, Bratiuk took the early lead.
The race was won by a Ukrainian, Oleksandra KONONOVA. The remaining medals are staying in Russia after Alena KAUFMAN finished second (one of only 2 Biathletes to clear all her shots), with Bratiuk finishing third. Incidentally Liashenko finished fifth.
In fact all of the top 6 were either Russian or Ukrainian. The best of the rest was Japan's Momoko DEKIJIMA in 7th (the other Biathlete to clear all her shots), followed by Finland's Maija JARVELA in 8th. And behind them was another Ukrainian, Iryna BUI.
Yes, I enjoyed that. I'm even more curious now to know how the VI Biathlon works!
CaroLiza_fan
You know, I never thought about it before, but that makes a lot of sense. Like, it must be very difficult for amputees (be it arms or legs) to get a rifle on and off their back at the best of times, never mind doing it at speed.
And having a stand to put the rifles onto (just like in those arcade games) makes sense too. Even if the targets are closer than in able-bodied Biathlon, you would still need to be unimaginably steady to shoot a target that small one-handed. I know I wouldn't be able to!
Anyway, onto the race itself.
Now although they were not racing each other on time, there was a very exciting race to be first across the line between the Russian Natalia BRATIUK and the Ukrainian Liudmyla LIASHENKO. Bratiuk led it coming into the last corner. but, they came out of the corner side-by-side and there was a mad race for the line. Liashenko just got across the line first, but because they started 1m30s apart, Bratiuk took the early lead.
The race was won by a Ukrainian, Oleksandra KONONOVA. The remaining medals are staying in Russia after Alena KAUFMAN finished second (one of only 2 Biathletes to clear all her shots), with Bratiuk finishing third. Incidentally Liashenko finished fifth.
In fact all of the top 6 were either Russian or Ukrainian. The best of the rest was Japan's Momoko DEKIJIMA in 7th (the other Biathlete to clear all her shots), followed by Finland's Maija JARVELA in 8th. And behind them was another Ukrainian, Iryna BUI.
Yes, I enjoyed that. I'm even more curious now to know how the VI Biathlon works!
CaroLiza_fan