---
title: "Ukrainian female biathletes hold first control sprint of the season in Vuokatti: Horodna finishes seventh"
description: "Ukrainian female biathletes have held the first control sprint of the new season in Vuokatti, Finland. Olena Horodna showed the best result among our athletes, taking seventh place."
date: 2026-11-14T13:33:37.343Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-biathletes-first-control-race-vuokatti
tags: [biathlon, ukraine, women-biathlon, vuokatti, world-cup]
author: "Dmitriy Shatolov"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukrainian female biathletes hold first control sprint of the season in Vuokatti: Horodna finishes seventh

![Ukrainian female biathlete with a rifle against snowy mountains during training](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/ukrainskie-biatlonistki-pervaya-kontrolnaya-gonka-vuokatti/ukrainskie-biatlonistki-pervaya-kontrolnaya-gonka-vuokatti-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The Ukrainian women's team held the first control sprint of the season in Vuokatti, Finland, with 11 Ukrainian athletes participating out of 25.
- Olena Horodna became the best among our team — 7th place with one miss, 1:50.2 behind the leader.
- Anastasiia Merkushyna finished 9th with two misses; Khrystyna Dmytrenko (22nd) received a penalty for incorrect course navigation.
- The podium was completely taken by Czechs: Markéta Davidová (no misses, 23:38.1), Tereza Voborníková, and Lucie Charvátová.
- The second control start is on November 15; the results of both races will determine the squad for the World Cup starting November 26 in Kontiolahti.

The Ukrainian women's biathlon team has held the first control start of the new season. The sprint took place in Vuokatti, Finland, where 25 athletes took to the track, including 11 representatives of our team. The race became a key benchmark for the coaching staff before the start of the World Cup, which opens on November 26 in Kontiolahti. Details are reported by [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/olena-gorodna-stala-naykrashchoyu-sered-ukrayinskih-1794661227.html) with reference to the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine.

### Horodna and Merkushyna in the top ten

Olena Horodna showed the best result among the Ukrainian women. She missed one target at the shooting ranges and finished seventh, 1 minute and 50.2 seconds behind the winner. Anastasiia Merkushyna also entered the top ten: with two misses, she took ninth place, 2 minutes and 8.6 seconds behind the leader. Daria Chalyk (13th), Viktoriia Khvorostenko (15th), and Oleksandra Merkushyna (16th) followed.

### Penalty for Dmytrenko and the tail of the race

Khrystyna Dmytrenko took 22nd place. Despite one shooting miss, the Ukrainian received a three-minute penalty for incorrect course navigation, as national team coach Igor Yarmosh told Suspilne Sport in a comment. The rest of the Ukrainian representatives finished the race in the following positions: Valeriia Sheihas — 19th, Tetiana Tarasiuk — 21st, Lilia Steblina — 23rd, Kseniia Prykhodko — 24th, Iryna Shevchenko — 25th.

### Czechs occupy the podium

All three prize-winning places went to representatives of the Czech Republic. The victory was won by 2021 World Champion Markéta Davidová, who covered the distance in 23 minutes 38.1 seconds without a single miss. Tereza Voborníková and Lucie Charvátová took second and third places respectively.

### What's next: second start and World Cup selection

The second control start of the Ukrainian women's team in Vuokatti is scheduled for Sunday, November 15. Based on the results of the two races, the coaching staff will determine the team roster for the opening stages of the World Cup. The new Biathlon World Cup season will begin on November 26 in Kontiolahti, Finland, and the first stage will run until November 29.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Елена Городная стала лучшей среди украинских биатлонисток в первой контрольной гонке сезона](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/olena-gorodna-stala-naykrashchoyu-sered-ukrayinskih-1794661227.html) - Primary source: results of the sprint in Vuokatti, positions of all 11 Ukrainian women, podium composition, announcement of the second start and the World Cup.

## FAQ

### Who showed the best result among Ukrainian biathletes in the control sprint in Vuokatti?

Olena Horodna became the best among the Ukrainians, taking seventh place with one miss and 1 minute 50.2 seconds behind the winner.

### Who won the control sprint in Vuokatti?

Czech biathlete Markéta Davidová won the race, covering the distance in 23:38.1 without misses. Representatives of the Czech Republic, Tereza Voborníková and Lucie Charvátová, also finished second and third.

### When will the second control start and the World Cup opener take place?

The second control start of the Ukrainian women's team in Vuokatti is scheduled for November 15. The new World Cup season will begin on November 26 in Kontiolahti, with the first stage running until November 29.