The men’s team failed to stay in the top 10 of the Nations Cup: fewer Ukrainians will participate in the new season
The final sprint of the season in Holmenkollen, Norway, proved to be fateful for the Ukrainian men’s national team. The “blue and yellow” lost the duel against Slovenia and officially lost the right to field five athletes in individual races.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the results of the Nations Cup standings.
Also read: Turbulent season finale: Ukraine’s results in the final relays of the Biathlon World Cup
Decisive race without a captain
By the last start, which counted towards the Nations Cup, Ukraine faced significant personnel losses. The day before, captain Dmytro Pidruchnyi had to end his season early due to health issues, and Artem Tishchenko also did not start. Therefore, the flag was defended by Vitaliy Mandzin, Bohdan Borkovskiy, and Bohdan Tsymbal.
Mandzin’s success and the team’s failure
The best result among Ukrainians was shown by Vitaliy Mandzin. With one miss, he managed to finish in a commendable 17th place. For the young biathlete, this is one of the best performances of his career at the World Cup level.
However, the results of his teammates did not allow the team to accumulate the necessary points:
- Bohdan Borkovskiy finished in 73rd place (3 misses)
- Bohdan Tsymbal finished 88th (2 misses)
The victory in the race was celebrated by Norwegian Sturla Legrade, who outpaced Frenchmen Emilien Jacquelin and Eric Perrot.
Consequences for the Ukrainian team
As a result of the season, Ukraine was unable to surpass Slovenia in the battle for a spot in the top ten of the Nations Cup. This means the loss of the fifth quota. In the next competitive year (season 2026/27), Ukraine will be able to enter no more than four biathletes in individual races.
It is worth noting that the women’s team also lost its extended quota and will only be able to field four biathletes next year – the minimum in the last 20 years.
What’s next in Holmenkollen
There are still four starts remaining in the final stage of the World Cup.
On Saturday, March 21, the pursuit races will take place: at 14:45 Kyiv time for women, and at 17:15 for men.
On Sunday, March 22, the biathletes will officially close the season with mass starts. Women will begin their race at 14:45, and men at 17:30.
All races can be watched on the “Suspilne Sport” channel and website. Regional channels of “Suspilne” will also provide live broadcasts.
Earlier, we reported that Ukraine surpassed its best result in the history of biathlon.
