Yerbol Khamitov hauls bronze at Paralympic Biathlon World Cup stage
Kazakh biathlete Yerbol Khamitov claimed the bronze medal in the LW12 class in the Sitting Men 7.5 km Sprint at the Paralympic Biathlon World Cup stage in Notschrei, Germany, Qazinform News Agency reports.
China’s Liu Mengtao won the race with a time of 21:09.6, followed by his compatriot Mao Zhongwu, who took silver in 21:22.9. Yerbol Khamitov claimed bronze with a time of 22:09.1. In the same event, Kazakhstan’s Sergey Ussoltsev finished 11th, while Yuriy Berezin placed 13th.
In the LW6 class, Kazakhstani biathlete Alexander Gerlitz finished the race in fourth place.
"This World Cup stage serves as a qualifier for the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The Kazakh national team still faces several upcoming qualifying events, including the Para Cross-Country World Cup from January 14–18 in Finsterau, Germany, and the Para Biathlon and Para Cross-Country World Cup from January 22 to February 1 in Jakuszyce, Poland. Our main goal at these competitions is to deliver strong performances, improve our rankings, and secure licenses for the Winter Paralympics," said Vasily Kolomiets, head coach of Kazakhstan’s national Para Cross-Country and Para Biathlon team.
Yerbol Khamitov himself noted that the Notschrei stage was challenging, but the difficulties only strengthen him.
"What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. The most important thing is character and determination, which no one can take away. Many thanks to my team,” Khamitov said.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan’s national Greco-Roman wrestling team has won four medals at the annual Yasar Dogu, Vehbi Emre and Hamit Kaplan International Wrestling Tournament underway in Antalya.
