How’s that for an Olympic debut?
Sarah Beaudry of Prince George, called into action Thursday to replace Megan Tandy in the women’s biathlon 15-kilometre race, exceeded all expectations when she racked up a 29th-place finish, just three places below Rosanna Crawford of Canmore, the top Canadian.
Beaudry shot 19-for-20 on the range. In four bouts her only miss came in her first standing shooting. The 23-year-old Caledonia Nordic Ski Club member finished 3:58.4 behind the gold-medal pace of Hanna Oeberg of Sweden, who shot clean and finished the course in 41:07.2.
Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia won silver, as she did Monday in the pursuit, and Laura Dahlmeier of Germany, the two-time gold medalist at the Pyeongchang Olympics, took bronze. Kuzmina finished 24.7 seconds behind Oeberg and Dahlmeier was 41.2 seconds behind.
In other Canadian results, Emma Lunder of Vernon finished 54th, 5:49.4 behind with three missed targets, while Julia Ransom of Kelowna was 74th, 8:31.7 behind with five misses.
Beaudry, the fifth member of the Canadian women’s biathlon team, was originally scheduled to race only in the relays on Feb. 22 but drew her first career Olympic start when Tandy, the 29-year-old from Prince George, became sick with a cold and fever four days ago and was forced to decline her spot in the race. Tandy also missed the pursuit after qualifying 57th.
In the men’s 20 km individual race Joahnnes Thinges Boe of Norway set the pace, winning gold in 48:03.8, ahead of silver medalist Jakov Fak of Solvenia. Dominik Landertinger of Austria took bronze.
Scott Gow of Canmore led the Canadians, finishing 14th with just one miss, Brendan Green of Hay River, N.W.T., was 22nd, Christian Gow of Canmore was 26th, and Nathan Smith of Calgary was 81st.
