January 6, 2007 – Another day of pouring rain wreaked havoc on the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof. The Canadian men’s squad, frustrated by the gusting wind and rain, struggled to get into the groove on the range.

Ottawa’s Robin Clegg was top Canadian on the day, settling for 53rd, two and a half minutes of the leading pace. It’s a disappointing result for the two-time Olympian who is ready to make his mark on the biathlon world.

“It’s frustrating not being able to put together a solid race both on skis and in the range,” said Clegg. “I am feeling really strong on my skis right now, but I haven’t been able to pull together a great performance on the range. The laws of average say it should happen and I am confident that I will achieve some great results this season. It’s just a matter of putting it all together on the same day.”

The Russians continue to dominate the Oberhof races, taking three of the top-five spots, including the gold. Nikolay Kruglov crossed the line in 28 minutes 38.4 seconds, just barely holding off German favorite Michael Greis, who finished +3.5 seconds behind. Italian Rene Laurent Vuillermoz had to settle for third, a fraction of a second behind Greis, in what ended up being an extremely close finish.

The surprise of the day was Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who up until Thursday’s relay had won every World Cup race he had competed in. The dominant Norwegian missed four targets and ended up a disappointing 30th.

Other Canadians in the race included, François Leboeuf, of Val Belair, Que., who finished in 58th +2:45.5 off the pace, and Camrose, Alta., native David Leoni was 63rd, +2:56.6 behind Kruglov.

The Biathlon World Cup continues in Oberhof on Sunday with the men’s and women’s pursuit.

Top-five results:

1. Nikolay Kruglov, RUS, 28.38.4; 2. Michael Greis, GER, +3.5; 3. Rene Laurent Vuillermoz, ITA, +3.6; 4. Ivan Tcherezov, RUS, +28.8; 5. Dmitri Iarochenko, RUS, +29.5

Canadian Results:

53. Robin Clegg, Ottawa, +2:27.3; 58. François Leboeuf, Val Belair, Que., +2:45.5; 63. David Leoni, Camrose, Alta., +2:56.6