finnish Biathlete Leinamo Stuns field with Silver in Individual Race
Hochfilzen, Austria – December 2, 2025 – In a stunning upset at today’s biathlon individual race, Finland’s Sonja Leinamo secured second place, marking a career-best result and shaking up the competition. Italy’s Dorothea Wierer claimed victory,finishing just 0.3 seconds ahead of Leinamo, while France’s Camille Bened completed the unexpected podium in third.
the remarkable performance from Leinamo, whose previous best finish was eighth place in a January sprint event in Oberhof, underscores the unpredictable nature of biathlon and signals a potential breakthrough for the Finnish athlete.Wierer’s win came despite incurring two penalty minutes, demonstrating her superior speed on the course.The race highlighted meaningful struggles for the German team,who collectively amassed 39 errors.
Leinamo navigated the course with only one shooting error, a testament to her composure under pressure. Wierer, despite the penalties, closed the gap with blistering speed, overcoming a two-second deficit at the final intermediate time check.
The German team’s performance was notably disappointing, with Franziska Preuß finishing 29th, Vanessa Voigt 39th, Selina Grotian 50th, Marlene Fichtner 68th, and Anna Weidel 89th. The team will look to rebound at friday’s sprint race, scheduled for 4:00 PM local time.
