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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, February 12, 2010

Winter Olympics: Biathlon capsule outlook


By Philip Hersh
Chicago Tribune

Biathlon
Whistler Olympic Park
10 events, from Feb. 13-26

Best of the U.S.: This season, Tim Burke became the first U.S. biathlete to wear the World Cup overall leader jersey and has made three World Cup podiums. Jay Hakkinen’s 10th in 20-kilometer event at 2006 Olympics was the best-ever finish for U.S. in individual race.
Best of the rest: Five-time Olympian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Norway is unquestionably the greatest biathlete ever, with nine Olympic medals (five gold) and an astonishing 32 world championship medals (13 gold). Suspicions of doping haunt top Russian and Austrian athletes. Russia’s Olga Medvetseva is back after being nabbed in 2006 Olympics. Watch for a possible Chinese surprise in women’s relay.
Predictions
Women 7.5 km sprint: 1. Helena Jonsson, Sweden. 2. Olga Medvetseva, Russia. 3. Magdalena Neuner, Germany.
Men 10 km sprint: 1. Emil Hegle Svendsen, Norway. 2. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway. 3. Michael Greis, Germany.
Women 10km pursuit: 1. Neuner. 2. Jonsson. 3. Svetlana Sleptsova, Russia.
Men 10km pursuit: 1. Bjoerndalen. 2. Svendsen. 3. Evgeny Ustyugov, Russia.
Women 15 km individual: 1. Jonsson. 2. Kati Wilhelm, Germany. 3. Neuner.
Men 20km individual: 1. Christoph Sumann, Austria. 2. Simon Fourcade, France. 3. Tim Burke, U.S.
Men 15km mass start: 1. Bjoerndalen. 2. Svendsen. 3. Ustyugov.
Women 12.5km mass start: 1. Andrea Henkel, Germany. 2. Jonsson. 3. Neuner.
Women 4x6km relay: 1. Germany. 2. Russia. 3. Sweden.
Men 4x7.5km relay: 1. Norway. 2. Russia. 3. France.