Golden finish: Wierer is world champion for the first time!

Wierer has already climbed onto the podium in the mixed relay and single mixed relay at the title fights in Sweden, but in the individual races her best result was only eighth place - until this Sunday.

Ekaterina Yurlova-Percht, Dorothea Wierer and Denise Herrmann celebrate precious metal. © APA/afp / JONATHAN NACKSTRAND

The South Tyrolean, who turned 29 in just a few weeks, laid the foundation for her success with an outstanding, flawless shooting performance. So she came to the last standing stop with a big lead. There, in the light drifting snow, she suddenly missed twice and made things really exciting again. The surprisingly strong Russian Ekaterina Yurlova-Percht only had to go into the penalty loop once, so Wierer was really challenged again on the final lap. There was no sign of her stomach upset from the day before, she mobilized the last reserves of strength and fought her way to the finish with a lead of almost five seconds over Yurlova-Percht. Her first world championship title and the complete set of medals in Östersund, after silver and bronze in the mixed events, could no longer be taken away from her. First world champion from Italy Wierer's success in the mass start race is not only her first World Championship gold (sixth medal overall), but the first ever for a biathlete from the Italian national team. Andreas Zingerle (individual, 1993) and Wilfried Pallhuber (sprint, 1997) were the only South Tyrolean individual world champions to date. Ex-aequo lead in the overall World Cup At the last women's competition in Östersund, Denise Herrmann completed the podium behind Wierer and Yurlova-Percht. The second “Azzurra”, individual silver medalist Lisa Vittozzi from Friuli, had to settle for eighth place after four penalties.

This means Wierer gains 26 points in the overall World Cup and draws level with the leader from his own team. The decision about the big crystal ball will be made next week at the World Cup finals at Holmenkollen.

Meanwhile, the World Championships in Östersund ended, just a few hours after Wierer's gold appearance, with another Rasner triumph: Dominik Windisch grabbed the title in a crazy men's mass start . Result of the women's World Cup mass start: Pos Name Country Time Penalty laps 1. Dorothea Wierer ITA/turf 37: 36,4 minutes 2 2. Ekaterina Yurlova-Percht RUS +4,9 sec. 2 3. Denise Herrmann GER +15,4 4 4. Hanna Öberg SWE +52,7 3 5. Tyril Eckhoff NOR +57,7 4 6. Laura Dahlmeier GER +1:03,4 mins 4 7. Marte Olsbu Røiseland NOR + 1: 10,1 4 8. Lisa Vittozzi ITA + 1: 11,2 4 9. Linn Persson SWE + 1: 297 3 10. Joanne Reid USA 1:32,1 4

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Golden finish: Wierer is world champion for the first time!

Just one day after she skipped the start of the relay due to health reasons, Dorothea Wierer made a furious appearance in the last World Cup competition in Östersund. In the mass start race she left everyone behind.

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