MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. The Russian national biathlon team raced to bronze on Thursday in mixed-relay at the 2017 IBU World Championships in Austria’s Hochfilzen.

Russia’s Olga Podchufarova, Taiana Akimova, Alexander Loginov and Anton Shipulin finished the race in the third place behind winners Germany and silver medalists from France.

The last time Russia stepped on the podium in the mixed relay of the IBU World Championship was in 2008, when it also clinched the bronze of the international tournament in this discipline.

French team’s two-time Olympic champion Martin Fourcade left the podium during the medal awards ceremony of the Russian biathletes.