Erik Lesser missed the podium in fifth place, Martin Fourcade continued his incredible success story. The 29-year-old Frenchman also won the 12.5 km pursuit race at the World Cup finale in the Russian Tyumen and secured the next small crystal ball with his ninth victory of the season.
The Olympic champion had won the overall World Cup and the Sprint World Cup for the seventh time in a row. Also in the singles he was the measure of all things together with Johannes Thingnes Bö (Norway). On Sunday Fourcade can crown his again great season in the mass start over 15 km.
Fourcade, who has always reached the podium at his 20 World Cup starts so far this winter, was at his 70th birthday. World Cup victory with a shooting error 47.9 seconds before Bö and 1’08.4 minutes before the Italian Lukas Hofer. Lesser (Frankenhain), already in Sprint 5th, missed a podium position with three shooting mistakes.
Arnd Peiffer (Clausthal-Zellerfeld/two shooting mistakes) finished sixth, Simon Schempp (Uhingen/3) 15th. Johannes Kühn (Reit im Winkl/6) and Benedikt Doll (Breitnau/5) had to settle for positions 26 and 27, Roman Rees (Schauinsland/2) finished 36th. Space.