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Exciting news has come out of Kazakhstan, with Jan Gunka from Poland taking home the silver medal in the 10 km sprint at the IBU Youth & Junior World Championship Biathlon in Shchuchinsk. He was bested only by Campbell Wright from New Zealand, making this the first medal Poland has achieved in this event since 1996!
It’s been 27 years since Poland has had a podium finish at the World Championships in this age category, with two third places achieved by Wojciech Kozub. Furthermore, no Polish athlete has made it into the top ten of the junior sprint since then.
“Tomasz Sikora (Olympic silver medalist, World and European Champion and sport expert and commentator – ed.) was right when he said after the World Championships in Oberhof to pay attention to Jan Gunka. The Pole became the junior world vice-champion in biathlon, losing in the sprint only to Campbell Wright, who is known from the World Cup. This is the first medal in the junior sprint for Poland since 1996!”
wrote TVP Sport journalist Jakub Pobożniak.
Gunka and his companion Wright both had perfect aim, yet the New Zealander was much faster on the course and got a 35.4s advantage over the Pole. Frenchman Maxime Germain secured the third position.