Paulina Fialková ran onto the biathlon podium in the mass start in Annecy for the first time since 2022. The Slovakian ski hunter then spoke of a “Christmas present”.
“It’s really very exciting,” Paulina Fialková commented on her remarkable success in an interview with the international biathlon association IBU.
She “gave herself the second best Christmas present,” said the biathlete. The best Christmas present was the birth of her daughter on Christmas Eve 2023, said Fialková.
Fialková moves up to the biathlon mass start
The Slovakian therefore suspended the last biathlon season. In the spring, Fialková announced her return to the big World Cup stage. Her first podium finish since 2022 followed in the mass start in Annecy.
Due to several failures in the field, Fialková was added to the 30-man squad for the mass start – and made impressive use of her chance.
After three shooting errors, the two-time silver medalist at the European Championships finished 35.4 seconds behind the victorious Selina Grotian (one error) and 23.7 seconds behind second-placed Franziska Preuß (zero errors). Fialková overtook the Frenchwoman Jeanne Richard in an exciting sprint to the finish.
“I saw that anything was possible today”
“After the last shooting I was in fifth place and I saw that anything was possible today because the snow was really slow and I still had some energy. I used it and got on the podium in the photo finish, so I’m very happy proud,” said the experienced ski hunter, describing her race to catch up. She “tried to the finish line and made it,” said Fialková.
The Biathlon World Cup is now taking a short Christmas break. From January 9th it will continue in Oberhof, Thuringia. Then Fialková should be expected again.