Khanty Mansiysk, Russia - Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway got his fourth win in the last six races on Saturday by dominating a 12.5-kilometres World Cup pursuit. Svendsen could afford two missed targets as he claimed victory in 35 minutes 50.4 seconds. The young Norwegian had in recent weeks won 20km and mass start world titles (races which are also part of the World Cup) in Ostersund, Sweden, and a sprint in the Korean venue of Pyeongchang.
Tomas Sikora of Poland roared from 19th after the sprint to second Saturday with clean shooting, trailing Svendsen by 16.8 seconds. Russia's Andrei Makoveev was third with three penalty loops, 23.1 seconds off the pace.
World Cup leader Ole Einar Bjoerndalen had to settle for seventh with five penalty loops.
The result means that Bjoerndalen will have to wait until next year to pass the record of 86 World Cup wins achieved by Swedish alpine skier Ingemar Stenmark, the leading mark in World Cup ski sports. Bjoerndalen has 82 wins (81 in biathlon and one in cross-country) with three races left in the season.
A women's pursuit was scheduled in Khanty Mansiysk for later Saturday.
