Ustyugov coasts to biathlon gold
Russian wins by 10.5 seconds in men's Olympic 15K mass start
Last Updated: Sunday, February 21, 2010 | 4:25 PM ET
By Doug Harrison, CBC Sports
Russia's Evgeny Ustyugov reacts as he crosses the finish line in the men's biathlon 15-kilometre mass start. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images) A smiling Evgeny Ustyugov, who was edged off the podium in the men's individual biathlon race, waved to the crowd at Whistler Olympic Park as he cruised to a first-place finish in the 15-kilometre mass start.
The 24-year-old Russian pulled away from Slovakia's Pavol Hurajt shortly after the fourth and final shooting stage and breezed to the finish line in 35 minutes 35.7 seconds under a clear ski Sunday afternoon.
Ustyugov, who has four World Cup podium finishes this season, placed fourth in the 20km individual event on Thursday.
Martin Fourcade, 21, finished second on Sunday, 10.5 seconds behind Ustyugov in 35:46.2. The Frenchman's previous best finish at an Olympics was 14th at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
The 32-year-old Hurajt, first out of the fourth shooting stage, tailed off down the stretch in the Callaghan Valley and took bronze (35:52.3).
Canada's Jean-Philippe Le Guellec missed four of five targets in the second round of shooting and finished last in the 30-man field in a time of 39:18.5.
Strong Olympics
Despite Sunday's disappointment, the 24-year-old Kingston, Ont., native has had a strong Olympics, finishing a career-best sixth in the sprint, 11th in pursuit and 13th in the individual.
Ranked 22nd on the World Cup circuit, Le Guellec is considered by some as Canada's best male biathlete ever.
Meanwhile, Norwegian legend Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, 36, came 27th in a time of 37:46.5. The top-ranked biathlete on the World Cup scene will get another chance to pick up medal No. 11 in his fourth Olympics in the relay.
Norwegian cross-country skier Bjorn Daehlie holds the Winter Games record of 12 medals, all won in the 1990s.
Bjoerndalen's compatriot, Emil Hegle Svendsen, was 13th in 36:20.7. A favourite in the mass start, the 24-year-old captured the 20km event.
Mass start, which allows spectators to see all competitors battle side-by-side, was introduced four years ago in Turin in an effort to make biathlon more appealing to fans.
