Illustration photo – Biathlon World Cup in Pokljuka (Slovenia), mixed relay race, January 8, 2023. From left, Michal Krčmář and Tereza Voborníková from the Czech Republic hand over the baton.
Oberhof (Germany) – Czech biathletes entered the World Championships in Oberhof with fifth place in the mixed relay. The quartet of Tereza Voborníková, Markéta Davidová, Michal Krčmář and Tomáš Mikyska reloaded seven times on the shooting range, but avoided a penalty round. Almost fourteen seconds separated the Czech competitors from the medals, and they achieved the best result since bronze at the 2020 World Cup at the top event.
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The title of world champions was defended by the Norwegians. The main favorites succeeded in the 4×6 kilometer race despite Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold's penalty on the first leg. The Italians were second with a loss of 11.6 seconds, the bronze was won by the French. The Czechs lost one minute and nine seconds to the victorious Norwegians.
The mixed relay was started by World Championship debutante Voborníková, who replaced the injured Jessica Jislova. The 22-year-old competitor completed two shots lying down and one while standing. In the second section, she passed Davidova in seventh place. Right behind the Czech biathletes were the Norwegians, who were delayed by one penalty round by Tandrevold.
The eighth woman of the World Cup, Davidová, missed one target in both events, but was always able to correct the mistakes. In the middle of the race, the Czechs were eighth with a loss of 55.1 seconds to the leading Italy. Almost a minute and a half separated them from the medal.
Krčmář, the most experienced Czech competitor, succeeded in the third stage. He missed only one of the eleven targets and sent the debutant Mikyska to the last stage in fifth place with a loss of 26.8 seconds to the lead.
Mikyska was losing from the start on skis, thanks to a clean prone position and the shooting collapse of Swede Sebastian Samuelsson, who had to do three penalty laps, stayed in fifth place. The Czechs lost ten seconds to the fourth Austria.
Mixed relay (4×6 km): 1. Norway (Tandrevoldová, Olsbuová-Röiselandová, Laegreid, J. T. Bö) 1:04:41, 9 (1 penalty round + 9 charging), 2. Italy (Vittozzi, Wierer, Bionaz, Giacomel) -11.6 (0+6), 3. France (Simon, Chevalier-Bouchet, Jacquelin, Fillon Maillet) -55 .9 (0+9), 4. Austria -59.2 (0+3), 5. Czechia (Voborníková, Davidová, Krčmář, Mikyska) -1:09.4 (0+7), 6. Germany -1:26.5 (1+9).
