Anastazia Kuzmina wins her first Olympic gold with triumph in women’s 7.5K sprint

Kuzmina bests biathlon field in women’s 7.5K

WHISTLER, British Columbia — Slovakia’s Anastazia Kuzmina wins her first Olympic gold medal taking the women’s 7.5-kilometer biathlon sprint at Whistler Olympic Park.

Kuzmina missed one of 10 shots and finished in 19 minutes, 55.6 seconds Saturday on a course that had to be sprinkled with fertilizer to harden up snow that had been pelted for days with rain and sleet.

Germany’s Magdalena Neuner took the silver, finishing 1.5 seconds behind Kuzmina, and Marie Dorin of France won the bronze with a clean shoot that put her 10.9 seconds off the lead.