SPORT The Times Thursday, March 13, 2014 11 Best Gold and bronze from marksmen compete in Pokljuka Moscow By Igor Leshin

Following her triple Olympic Belarusian men’s national gold in Sochi, biathlete Darya team in air rifle shooting wins 2014 European Championship Domracheva has her sights set on (team 10m standing), setting new European record the Big Crystal Globe. Despite her Vitaly Bubnovich was the best Belarusian marksman at the Euro- huge success, she had been yet to pean Championship, in the 10m air claim a medal at the World Cup rifle event, occupying second place. Ilya Chergeiko came 8th while Yuri stage in Pokljuka. Shcherbatsevich was 27th. came first in the team rankings, By Yegor Glebov start but, of course, the race is with a new European record of Darya’s forte, and led to her 18th 1,873.2 points, outstripping squads In the face of high winds in biathlete gold. As in Sochi, she from Ukraine and Russia. Slovenia, the gales at Laura Sports took the lead early on, shooting Belarus’ Victoria Chaika Complex seemed like a light confidently and skiing fast across claimed bronze in the women’s breeze, which perhaps explained the 12.5km distance. Moreover, 10m air pistol event, earning 176.6 Darya’s poor marksmanship in it was the first time Domracheva points, while Germany took gold the sprint and 28th place. Sochi had managed to leave behind her and silver: Stefanie Thurmann and bronze medallist Nadezhda Skar- Big Crystal Globe rivals, enabling Monika Karsch respectively. dino came third, without a single her to reduce the gap in the over- After the competition, Victoria miss across two shooting ranges, all standings: currently led by Kai- Chaika admitted that noise at the while Lyudmila Kalinchik, who sa Mäkäräinen, followed by Tora shooting ranges had unnerved her also covered the sprint without a Berger. rather and affected her ability to miss, occupied 8th place. Nadezhda Skardino helped concentrate: however, such a situa- Despite Darya Domracheva’s her teammate by endeavouring tion is not regulated by competition breathtaking ‘climb’ in the pursuit, to keep a furious Berger behind rules. moving from her initial 28th po- her in the final lap, winning back sition to 4th at the finishing gate, two precious World Cup points her strategic struggle for the Big for Darya from the Norwegian All fans Crystal Globe seemed lost, since athlete. Besides Domracheva and both Kaisa Mäkäräinen and Tora Skardino, Lyudmila Kalinchik was can enjoy Berger were ahead, as in the sprint. also ranked among the top ten,

Berger’s advantage amounted to making the mass start a true gift IBU matches four-dozen points before the mass for March 8th Women’s Day. Darya Domracheva covers the distance By Polina Lokhmanenko

Ice Hockey World Lost as they could Championship matches to be broadcast Anticipation better than reality regarding on big screens located in friendly Bulgaria-Belarus match fan zones By Yuri Bakerenko During the forthcoming Ice Hockey The first meeting in this year World Championship, in May, looked more promising than most two fan-zones are to be set up in REUTERS of those we saw last season. Sadly, the capital: near Minsk-Arena and despite being equally matched, the Chizhovka-Arena. Fans can gather More medals score finished on a disappointing to celebrate, relax and chat between 1:2 defeat for Belarus, watched by matches, while enjoying champion- from Sopot just 4,000 rain-soaked fans in the ship games shown on big screens. 43,000 capacity Vasil Levski Stadi- Each zone is to feature a concert By Igor Grishin um. It was so quiet that you could platform, cafes and restaurants, hear individual conversations be- as well as stalls selling souvenirs. Polish Sopot brings two tween spectators and between the There will even be mini-tourna- World Indoor Track and Field coaches and their players! ments and fan competitions. Championship medals for our Our performance was rather Three zones of hospitality are athletes like the weather: wet! Initially, also being organised. The main Andrey Kravchenko has won the Belarusian squad appeared venue will be near the Sports Pal- silver in the heptathlon, with a new to have swallowed sleeping pills. ace on Pobediteley Avenue, fea- national record of 6,303 points, They woke up a little in the second turing several entertainments and just 329 points behind American half and managed a goal on a cra- places for relaxing. Fans will be Ashton Eaton; bronze went to Bel- zy ricochet but, in truth, the first National team match against Bulgaria proves a failure able to hire boats on the river or try gium’s Thomas van der Plaetsen match of the season was a failure. go-carting, on an indoor rink (used (6,259). Meanwhile, on the last Coach Georgy Kondratiev Georgy Kondratiev, for skating in winter). The Student day of the competition, Belaru- would, no doubt, admit that most the head coach of the national team of Belarus: Village, on Dzerzhinsky Avenue, is sian runner Marina Arzamasova of the squad are not on peak form It was the worst match for the team under my man- to accommodate a great many fans, took the 800m bronze, setting a at present, since it’s outside of the agement. For some reason, the players appeared offering well-developed infrastruc- personal record of 2 minutes 0.79 main season. However, it is dis- unready; for the first 25 minutes, they played ter- ture, free and fast transportation to seconds. The USA’s Chanelle Price turbing, since our national team ribly. I have to admit that the team from Bulgaria the centre of the city and ice are- took gold, with Polish Angelika will be taking part in the qualify- deserved to win. We played horribly at the very nas. Hostel cafeterias will be sell- Cichocka (2 minutes 0.45 seconds) ing round for the 2016 European beginning. When our wingbacks received the ing snacks outside during the event claiming silver. Championship this autumn. Ex- ball, they needed to deliver it forward to Hleb and visitors will be able to visit the With two awards (one silver hausted by a long season, they and Rodionov; however, they kept passing back! Ice Palace in Brilevichi. The third and one bronze) the national team surely won’t be at their best. If Our rival repeatedly blocked us and was on bet- zone is to be near the Ice Palace on of Belarus shared 20th place at the they repeat their Sofia perfor- ter physical form, while also playing ‘at home’. Pritytsky Street, with skating, dis- World Championship, with teams mance, their dreams of reaching We weren’t ready for their aggressive play and cos and food carts set up, as well from the Bahamas, Canada and the actual tournament will remain it’s given us much to consider. We have no right to as a small outside entertainment

China. just that. continue playing so badly. BELTA platform.