February 10, 2007 – Coming together for the first time as a team in the mixed relay event, Canada’s Sandra Keith, Zina Kocher, Jean-Philippe LeGuellec and David Leoni, captured the team’s first top-15 finish of the World Championships, Thursday in Antholz, Italy.

The mixed relay consists of two six-kilometre loops for the women and two 7.5-kilometre loops for the men, with two shooting bouts, one prone and one standing, for a combined total time. Keith, of Calgary, Kocher, of Red Deer, Alta., LeGuellec, of Val-Bélair, Que., and Leoni, of Camrose, Alta., had one penalty loop and completed the race in 14th-place, just under five minutes behind the winning Swedish team.

“Our wax technicians did a great job preparing for the race. The team had some fast skis today,” said LeGuellec. “If we could have avoided the penalty loop and used a few less spare rounds, as a team, I have no doubt we could have had a top-10 result.”

The complete Canadian squad will have a rest day Friday, with the women returning to competition Saturday for the 4 x 6-kilometre relay and the men on Sunday in the 4 x 7.5-kilometre relay.

For full schedule and results, please visit www.biathlonworld.com.

Top-five results:

1. Sweden, 1:20:04.75; 2. France, +27.6; 3. Norway, +36.4; 4. Slovenia, +1:11.1; 5. Germany, +1:24.2

Canadian result:

14. Sandra Keith, Calgary, Zina Kocher, Red Deer, Alta., Jean-Philipe LeGuellec, Val-Bélair, Que. and David Leoni, Camrose, Alta., +4:54.2