France's Quentin Fillon-Maillet won his sixth consecutive Biathlon World Cup pursuit race to lift the Crystal Globe in Kontiolahti today ©IBU

France's Quentin Fillon Maillet won his sixth consecutive pursuit race at the Biathlon World Cup in Kontiolahti to lift the first Crystal Globe of his career, while in contrast Norway's Tiril Eckhoff topped the podium for the first time in nearly a year in the women's race.

Fillon Maillet is the dominant performer in the sport at the moment having won five Olympic medals at Beijing 2022, two gold and three silver, and shows no sign of his appetite having been sated by his success in China.

This victory in the 12.5 kilometres pursuit was his second in consecutive days, having won the 10km sprint yesterday.

The 29-year-old has now won every pursuit race in the World Cup since victory last December at Hochfilzen, the second leg in this season's World Cup, and secured the overall title in the discipline.

Fillon Maillet, who had clinched the Olympic gold in this event at Beijing 2022, hit every shot until his last one as he led from the start at the Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium in the resort in Finland to cross the line first in 32min 55sec.

Germany’s Erik Lesser shot clean in a season best second place, 8.2 seconds behind his French rival, the first time he has finished on the podium since a third place at Kontiolahti in November 2020. 

He battled with Italy’s Lukas Hofer on the last loop, just edging him into third place in an event missing competitors from Russia and Belarus after they were banned by the International Biathlon Union following the invasion of Ukraine.

"That is official?" Fillon Maillet said after being told he had secured the crystal globe.

"That is very great. 

"Having a victory in the pursuit is very good."

Eckhoff, the overall World Cup champion in this discipline for the last two seasons, laid her marker down early in the women's 10km pursuit in 31:40 when she cleaned the first prone stage.

Last season’s overall World Cup winner could even afford the luxury of two last standing stage penalties and win by 15.9 seconds from Italy’s Dorothea Wierer.

Wierer, an Olympic bronze medallist in the sprint event at Beijing 2022, shot clean as she climbed from 17th place at the start to finish second.

Germany’s Denise Herrmann, yesterday’s sprint winner, finished third, with three penalties, 19.5 seconds back.

It was the 27th World Cup victory of Eckhoff’s career but her first since winning the 7.5km sprint in Östersund in Sweden nearly a year ago.

The 31-year-old had won the bronze medal in this pursuit at Beijing 2022, along with a silver in the mass start and gold in the mixed relay.

Norway's Tiril Eckhoff claimed her first Biathlon World Cup victory for nearly a year when she won the 10km pursuit in Kontiolahti today ©IBU
Norway's Tiril Eckhoff claimed her first Biathlon World Cup victory for nearly a year when she won the 10km pursuit in Kontiolahti today ©IBU

"It is very nice to be back on top," Eckhoff said.

"I really wanted to win today, so I am very happy.

"[The last shooting] was really bad.

"I was tired today so it was hard going alone out there in the tracks.

"I had not the best focus on the last shots.

"That was a little bit clumsy; I was lucky today."

But it was not enough to help Eckhoff retain her position as World Cup champion in the discipline as team mate Marte Olsbu Roeiseland lifted the crystal globe for the fourth time after finishing fourth, with three penalties.

Olsbu Roeiseland, winner of the gold medal in the event at Beijing 2022, had finished second overall in two of the last three seasons, including to Eckhoff last year.