December 16, 2012 (Pokljuka, SLO) – American Tim Burke put in a solid race today to claim the podium today with a third place finish in the men’s 15km World Cup mass start posting a time of 36:02 with just two penalties at the range. The 30-year-old Burke finished +22.6 seconds back from the winner, Germany’s Andreas Birnbacher, who shot clean and clocked a time of 35:39.4. Local countryman Jacov Fak of Slovenia took second today with 35:57.1 and two penalties.

Tim Burke celebrates a third place finish in today's 12.5k Mass Start in Pokljuka/SLO. © US Biathlon/NordicFocus

Today marks Burke’s fourth career-podium and his first since his breakout 2009-2010 season and caps off an impressive weekend in Pokljuka where he also placed 4th in the 10km Sprint, and 7th in yesterday’s 12.5km Pursuit.

“This was a great race for me. Both my skiing and shooting really came together on the same day,” Burke told SkiTrax. “This was by far the best that I have felt on the skis this season. It felt great to be able to push again on the last loop when the others were close behind.”

Burke knew it was going to be a fight to the end as Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) and Martin Fourcade (FRA) were only 5 seconds behind Burke on the final lap. “Those are the last two names that you want to hear right behind you going onto the last loop. I was glad that I had conserved a lot of energy earlier in the race by staying in the pack so that I had enough left to pick it up at the end,” added Burke.

Final podium (l-r) Fak 2nd, Birnbacher 1st, Burke 3rd © Nordic Focus

He is pleased with his performance in this first triad of World Cup racing and he is looking forward to the upcoming break.  “This was a great early Christmas present and now I am looking forward to heading home and spending some time with my family and friends for the holidays,” he shared.

US Biathlon head coach Per Nilsson was just as pleased as Burke with the results from this weekend  “It was a super job of everybody today,” said Nilsson in a team release. “Tim did a super job on the range and the course. For the last loop he was in third place and moved up to Jacov Fak, one of the strongest skiers this trimester.

“Just five seconds behind Tim were Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) and World Cup leader Martin Fourcade (FRA), so I don’t think Tim was certain he was going to make the podium until he crossed the finish line.”

Canadian Jean Philippe Leguellec was only other North American in today’s Mass Start event and he finished just out of the top twenty in 21st with a time of 37:12.1 suffering two penalties.

The E.ON Biathlon World Cup takes a short break for the Christmas season and resumes with the 4th round from Oberhof, Germany on Jan. 1, 2013.

Full results HERE.