In his first-ever IBU Junior Cup event, Bobby Kreitz skied and shot the biathlon race of his life Thursday in the Czech Republic.
The 18-year-old Caledonia Nordic Ski Club member from Prince George was the top Canadian, finishing 54th out of 112 in the men's 15-kilometre individual race at the IBU Junior Open European Championships.
Kreitz had just two misses in four rounds of shooting and ended up 7:40.7 behind the gold-medal pace of Russian Igor Malinovskii, who finished the course at Nove Mesto in 39:56.3.
Kirill Strettsov of Russia won silver and Anton Smolski of Bulgaria took bronze.
UNBC physics major Jarod Algra of Abbotsford, 19, had two missed targets and finished 59th. 8:07.4 off the winning time.
Logan Sherba of Prince George, 18, finished 92nd with six missed targets. He was 14:05.9 behind Malinovskii. Pearce Hanna of Edmonton was 72nd, Angus Tweedie of Smithers was 93rd; and Trevor Kiers of Sprucedale. Ont., was 95th.
In the 12.5 km women's individual race, Emily Dickson, 19, a Burns Lake native and Caledonia club member who lives in Canmore, Alta., placed 71st. Dickson missed five targets and was 8:46.2 behind race winner Anna Weidel of Germany, who finished in 42:00.3.
Myrtille Begue of France and Marketa Davidova of the Czech Republic won silver and bronze respectively. Madia Moser of Whitehorse placed 37th as the top Canadian woman. Darya Sepandj of Calgary was 81st in a field of 99 racers.
Racing resumes Saturday with men's and women's sprints, followed by the pursuits on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Bresno-Osrblie, Slovakia, Caledonia biathlete Matt Neumann is among four Canadians entered in today's IBU Cup men's 10 km sprint. Neumann's best finish this season came in December when he placed 47th in a sprint race in Obertilliach, Austria.
Also entered today are Aidan Millar of Canmore, Carsen Campbell of Bedeque, P.E.I., and Matthew Hudec of Edmonton. In the women's 7.5 km sprint, Eric Yungblut of Wroexeter, Ont., and Leilani Tam Von Berg of Canmore will represent Canada.
