Oleksandra Merkushyna One Step From the Podium in the 2026 Junior World Biathlon Sprint: How the Race Went
Tetiana Tarasiuk won the small crystal globe following the race.
Oleksandra Merkushyna finished fourth in the junior women's (U21) sprint at the 2026 Junior World Biathlon Championships. Besides Oleksandra, the national team was represented by Tetiana Tarasiuk, who also made the top 10, Valeriia Sheihas, and Polina Putsko.
Earlier in the day's first race, Alina Khmil made the top 20 in the youth women's sprint. Overall, by the fifth competition day, Team Ukraine had won three medals at the 2026 Junior World Biathlon Championships. Oleksandra Merkushyna, in particular, also won silver in the individual race.
DeTalks is covering Ukrainian athletes' results at the 2026 Junior World Biathlon Championships. Follow the editorial team's Telegram channel to stay on top of the latest news.
How the Junior Women's Sprint Went for the Ukrainians at the 2026 Junior World Biathlon Championships
- Oleksandra Merkushyna was the first Ukrainian to start the sprint. Posting the fourth-fastest time at the 1.1 km mark, she missed twice at the prone stage and came back in ninth after her penalty laps. She shot standing in 18.2 seconds, missing once. Oleksandra finished fourth.
- Gold medalist in the 2026 Junior European Championships single mixed relay, Tetiana Tarasiuk shot clean at the first stage, moving up to third. She came out of the standing stage with one miss and finished the race ninth.
- Valeriia Sheihas shot clean at both stages, edging out Tarasiuk by 1.3 seconds after the second. But she slowed on the final lap and finished 16th.
- With two misses, Polina Putsko was 47th after the prone stage, then posted the 42nd-fastest time with a clean second stage.
The junior women's sprint was won by Latvia's Estere Volfa. Inka Hämäläinen took silver, and Germany's Sidney Wüstling rounded out the top three.
2026 Junior World Biathlon Championships Sprint, Junior Women (U21), 7.5 km, Results
1. Estere Volfa, Latvia (1+0) 21:39.8
2. Inka Hämäläinen, Finland (1+0) +53.9
3. Sidney Wüstling, Germany (1+0) +1:07.2
4. Oleksandra Merkushyna, Ukraine (2+1) +1:09.6
...
9. Tetiana Tarasiuk, Ukraine (0+1) +1:51.3
16. Valeriia Sheihas, Ukraine (0+0) +2:28.9
42. Polina Putsko, Ukraine (2+0) +4:08.7
By making the top 10, Tetiana Tarasiuk also won the small crystal globe in the sprint standings, finishing the season with 326 points, six ahead of Estere Volfa.
2026 Junior IBU Cup Sprint Standings
- Tetiana Tarasiuk, Ukraine — 326 points
- Estere Volfa, Latvia — 320
- Manca Kaserman, Slovenia — 314
On Friday, March 5, athletes in all four categories will compete in the Mass Start 60. The junior men's race starts at 11:30, the junior women's at 12:30, the youth men's mass start at 15:40, and the youth women close out the day at 16:40.