Darya Domracheva, Olympic champion:
I’m delighted to have gained a second medal at these Olympic Games — especially in the 15km race, which is a biathlon classic: much depends not only on speed across the distance but on shooting. I’ve often had problems at the shooting ranges — over this and previous seasons. However long hours of hard work have yielded fruit. Do I know how my victories are perceived at home? Certainly! I’m so happy that all Belarusian people support me!
How does it feel to have your dream come true?
It is possible to be an Olympic champion once — or many times. The dream can continue.
Nadezhda Skardino, a bronze prize-winner of the Olympic Games:
Until now, it has been difficult for me to believe that my efforts could pay off. At the last shooting range and during the last lap, I just wanted to show what I could do, without thought of winning a medal. After the final shooting range, I exerted all my strength on the last lap. As you can see, I now have an Olympic bronze medal! I still can’t believe it!
Klaus Siebert, women’s Belarusian national team coach, on the biathlon:
The race was such as we could only dream of. Our medal winners — Dasha and Nadya — coped well with their tasks. Domracheva combined the fastest speed on the ski track with good marksmanship. Only one miss over 15km is an excellent result for her. Meanwhile, her competitors also missed; she made up for her missed target with speed. As for Nadya, it’s a real miracle! She’s done brilliantly and it’s not just luck; her competitors didn’t keep their nerve at the last shooting range and Skardino did! Now, she is a Games medallist!
