Domracheva — the holder of two small crystal globes from the last Cup season — left Norwegian Synnove Solemdal without a chance in the sprint, finishing almost half a minute ahead. Russia’s Anastasia Zagoruiko came third, behind Domracheva by 43 seconds.
The pursuit was more dramatic, as Domracheva missed four targets at the last shooting range, enduring seven penalty laps. She still managed to ski ahead of Russian Valentina Nazarova by 14 seconds. Domracheva also took part in the traditional Champions’ Race at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, alongside the other strongest biathletes of last season. She tells us, “I visited Moscow a year ago, performing at the first competition in Olimpiysky. At that time, it was a debut race for sportsmen and organisers but everything was perfect. This time, the event was held on a larger scale. I’m convinced that all participants and fans enjoyed it greatly.”
