Opinions & Interviews

PYEONGCHANG, 12 February (BelTA) – The winds spared me in the prone position, Belarusian biathlete Nadezhda Skardino said after the Olympic Women’s 10K Pursuit in PyeongChang on 12 February, BelTA has learned.

“I am happy with my result today. I went from 36^th up to 14^th. This is not bad. Everything went well with my shooting today. The winds have spared me in the prone position. I cleaned all the targets, which let me make it into the Top 20,” Nadezhda Skardino said.

The biathlete confessed that she felt nervous prior to the race. “The sprint in PyeongChang threw me out of my stride as I did many penalties. We have discussed the shooting tactics with the coaches. I was happy with my speed on the track today as well. I saw that I did not lag behind the group I was running with. Good speed and shooting let me occupy a higher place in the final standings. I need to continue working. There are new races ahead,” Nadezhda Skardino said.

The athlete noted that she had a complicated pre-Olympic season but the pursuit gave her hopes. “The season was difficult. I fell ill three times. This affects your preparedness. Every time you have to regain your physical shape. I am happy with my physical form now and ready to compete,” the biathlete said.

Irina Krivko has been demonstrating stable performance in PyeongChang. She was 17^th in both the Olympic races.

“Not everything went well in the pursuit. It was rather difficult. There were few penalties as I spent more time at the shooting range. The skis run well. Wind is a real challenge. You have to spend much time at the shooting range. I hope everything will change for the better as we approach the next race,” Irina Krivko said.

The Women’s 15K Individual is scheduled for 14 February in PyeongChang.