Pulse #Biathlon
Author: Andrii Nikitonok

Team Ukraine's Biathlon Squad Takes Silver in the Junior IBU Cup Relay in Val Martello

Team Ukraine's Biathlon Squad Takes Silver in the Junior IBU Cup Relay in Val Martello
Photo: champion.com.ua

This is Team Ukraine's junior biathlon squad's third medal of the 2025/26 season.

Team Ukraine's women's biathlon squad closed out the 2025 calendar year with silver in the relay at the Junior IBU Cup. It happened following the race held on the final competition day of the stage in Italy's Val Martello. The medal marked the national team's third of the season, after silver for Tetiana Tarasiuk in the sprint and bronze for Kseniia Prykhodko in the mass start.

The day before, Team Ukraine's junior squad ran a sprint race, in which Tetiana Tarasiuk proved fastest, finishing in the flower ceremony. In the relay, the national team, besides Tetiana, was represented by Viktoriia Khvostenko, Kseniia Prykhodko, and Valeriia Sheihas.

How the Girls' Relay Went at the 2025/26 Junior IBU Cupin Val Martello

  • The national team's leader, Tetiana Tarasiuk, ran the first leg for Ukraine. The athlete shot both stages without a single extra round, handing off first to Viktoriia Khvostenko with a lead of more than 40 seconds over second place.
  • Viktoriia, for her part, needed one extra round each at the prone and standing stages, and finished her leg having let Team Slovenia move ahead.
  • Kseniia Prykhodko, who ran the third leg for the Ukrainian team, caught up with Slovenia's Spitalar right after the prone stage, then passed her rival on the lap before the standing stage. Kseniia finished her leg without a single extra round, building a nearly half-minute lead for Ukraine.
  • At her first firing stage, Valeriia Sheihas needed one extra round, but still held the lead over Team Germany. The rest of the teams fell out of contention for gold.
  • On the lap before the standing stage, the German athlete passed the Ukrainian, after which both women headed to the penalty loop: Haupp for one lap, Sheihas for two. Germany went on to win the race, with Ukraine finishing second. France took third, passing Slovenia on the final leg and closing the gap to Ukraine, though not quite catching Valeriia.

Junior IBU Cup Stage in Val Martello. Relay, Girls: Results

1. Germany (2+13) 1:15:34

2. Ukraine (2+8) +55.1

3. France (5+16) +56.3

The second Junior IBU Cup stage's final race will be the men's relay, taking place December 21 at 15:00 Kyiv time.

DeTalks is covering Ukrainian athletes' results throughout the 2025/26 Junior IBU Cup season. Follow text coverage in the 'Pulse' section and news on the Telegram channel of the editorial team.

#Biathlon#Junior IBU Cup