December 10, 2018 (Pokljuka, Slovenia) – The USA’s Clare Egan pulled out all the stops to claim a career-best 6th-place finish in the women’s 10-kilometer Pursuit with one penalty at the BMW IBU World Cup in Pokljuka on Sunday. The 2018 Olympian also posted the fastest course time (25:28.6) in the 60-woman field for an American first at a World Cup or World Championship

“I really worked hard for this and I am psyched,” said a jubilant Egan who’s previous best finish in a World Cup race was 13th. “And it’s just the beginning of the season so I hope there’s more to come.”

Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen captured the win with clean shooting followed by Dorothea Wierer in second at 41.3 seconds behind also shooting clean, while Paulina Fialkova of Slovakia was also perfect on the range taking third at 59.2 seconds behind.

Susan Dunklee (USA) was 39th with two penalties followed by teammate Joanne Reid in 43rd with one penalty – no Canadians competed. Egan from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, was stoked to make the Flower Ceremony. “I wasn’t sure if I was in fifth or sixth. The Norwegian skier got me at the finish, so I was so happy when I looked up and saw that I was sixth, in the flower ceremony,” she added.

Egan was the 15th starter off the line, but her 19-for-20 shooting on the range, coupled with her fast ski time, catapulted her to sixth position at the finish. “I knew the pieces were there. I had clean shooting at a race at the Austrian trials before the World Cup and then I had awesome ski times this week so I knew it was coming and had really good focus today. I love competing head-to-head so pursuit is a great race for me.”

After her only penalty on the third shooting stage, Egan rebounded with a clean round in the final standing stage to set up her historic finish. She was edged out at the line for fifth place by 0.3 seconds by Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland.

“We’re really excited,” said Egan about the women’s squad. “We had two women in top-15 already so our team is off to a really good start. It’s just the beginning of a great season for U.S. Biathlon.”

Results here.