Shortly before the announced end of his career, Erik Lesser is in top form. In the Ötepää mass start he duped the competition and narrowly missed the podium.
The German biathletes didn’t make it onto the podium in the penultimate mass start race of the World Cup season. With the success of the Norwegian Vetle Sjastad Christiansen on Saturday in Otepää/Estonia, overall World Cup winner Quentin Fillon Maillet from France finished second, followed by Sivert Guttorm Bakken from Norway. Erik Lesser was fifth as the best German.
After 15 kilometers, the 33-year-old Thuringian was fifth after a penalty loop, 38.6 seconds behind Christiansen, who remained clear.
Happy Lesser
Lesser, who will retire after the World Cup finals next weekend in Oslo, had his eye on the podium until the very end. In the end it just wasn’t enough: “I invested too much in the fourth round,” said the veteran on the ARD microphone.
With a total of one missed shot, Lesser was quite happy at the finish: “In a race where it’s so close, I’m quite satisfied.”
“QFM” secures the overall World Cup
Eleventh was Philipp Nawrath (2 penalties/+ 1:03.5 minutes). Benedikt Doll (3/1:26.8) finished the race in 14th place, directly followed by Roman Rees (1/1:40.6). Johannes Kühn came in 18th (4/2.08.5).
Fillon Maillet secured the overall World Cup early. The 29-year-old Frenchman can no longer take the Big Crystal Globe before the final races next week in Oslo.