December 7, 2008 (Öestersund, Sweden) -Canada’s Jean-Philippe LeGuellec posted his best-ever World Cup result when he finished 13th in a Biathlon World Cup sprint competition in Öestersund, Sweden on Saturday. LeGuellec, of Shannon, Que., enjoyed a nearly perfect day after shooting clean in two trips to the range, and skiing upbeat towards a time of 26 minutes 39.2 seconds in the men’s 10-kilometre sprint. “The objective today was to ski with a little more pace because it was a sprint and shoot perfect. I am very pleased to be able to bring the skiing and shooting together,” said LeGuellec, who added the conditions were similar to Wednesday’s season-opener with fresh snow with really light tracks. “It was a winter wonderland out there and things just went really well for me.”

The sprint event consists of athletes racing three times around the 3.3-kilometre track. Athletes enter the shooting range for set of shots in the prone position, then one set standing before the final sprint to the finish. Athletes must ski a 150-metre penalty loop immediately after shooting if they miss a target. At just 23-years-old, LeGuellec may be one of the younger athletes on the Biathlon World Cup circuit, but he has the perspective and composure of a wily veteran. “This is my best result (World Cup), but it really is only just one more step closer to the podium,” said LeGuellec, who is entering his fourth season on Canada’s senior biathlon squad. “My goals are to consistently break into the top-30 and by the end of the year the top-15. When you get into that top group,it is so tight that every mistake counts, but you are within striking distance of the podium.”

Three other Canadians also took part in the men’s race. Ottawa’s Robin Clegg rebounded after a difficult race on Wednesday to finish 39th (27:24.6), while Regina’s Scott Perras was 53rd (27:37.0), and Patrick Coté, of Grand-Sault, N.B., was 93rd (28:55.4). LeGuellec will have just under a minute to make up on the winner of the sprint competition,Norway’s Emil-Hegle Svendsen (25:42.3), when he hits the start line for Sunday’s 12.5-kilometre pursuit event. Athletes start the pursuit competition time behind the winner of the sprint. Joining Svendsen on the men’s podium was Poland’s Tomasz Sikora in the silver-medal position (25:55.0), and Simon Fourcade, of France, in third at 26:10.4.

Three Canadian women also took aim at moving up the standings in the 7.5-kilometre sprint. Zina Kocher, who finished third in an individual start competition two years ago in Öestersund, Sweden, was the top Canuck in 42nd (25:45.8) after missing two shots. Megan Imrie, of Falcon Lake, Man., missed only one shot in her second trip to the range, and finished 61st (25:15.3), while Calgary’s Sandra Keith was 98th at 27:22.1. China’s Chunli Wang won the women’s competition after clocking-in at 22:48.1. Norway’s Tora Berger was second at 22:49.5, while Germany’s Magdalena Neuner skied into the final spot on the women’s podium with a time of 22:52.9.