MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. Russian biathletes swept podium in women’s 7.5 km sprint competition at the opening round of the 2021 IBU (International Biathlon Union) Cup in Germany’s Arber.

Russia’s Tatiana Akimova clocked the distance in 22 minutes 30.7 seconds with one missed shot at two firing ranges to win the race. Her teammate Valeria Vasnetsova had two missed shots and finished 9.8 seconds behind her in second place.

Another Russian biathlete, Anastasia Shevchenko, was the third with one missed shot crossing the finish line 23 seconds later than the winner.

The opening round of the 2021 IBU Cup in Germany’s Arber runs between January 11 and 17. The next round will also be held in Arber on January 18-23 and the 3rd round will be hosted by Slovakia’s Brezno-Osrblie on February 10-14.