Kazakhstan’s para biathlete Yermol Khamitov claimed a bronze medal at the Para Biathlon World Cup stage held in Germany, delivering an important result for the national team on the road to the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games, DKNews.kz reports.
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Competing in the LW12 class, Khamitov finished the 7.5 km sprint with a time of 22:09.1, securing third place in a highly competitive field.
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The race was dominated by athletes from China. Liu Mengtao took gold with a time of 21:09.6, while Mao Jiangwu finished second in 21:22.9.
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Despite strong competition, Khamitov’s podium finish marked a significant achievement for Kazakhstan.
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Other Kazakh Athletes’ Results
In the same event, Sergey Usoltsev placed 11th, while Yuriy Berezin finished 13th. In the LW6 class, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Gerlits ended the race in fifth place, narrowly missing out on a medal.
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A Key Step Toward the Paralympics
This World Cup stage plays a crucial role as a qualification event for the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics. Head coach of Kazakhstan’s national para cross-country skiing and para biathlon team Vasily Kolomiets подчеркнул the importance of the result.
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“Several qualification stages still lie ahead for our team. The Para Cross-Country Skiing World Cup will take place from January 14 to 18 in Finsterau, Germany. Another World Cup stage in para biathlon and para cross-country skiing will be held from January 22 to February 1 in Jakuszyce, Poland. Our main objective is to achieve strong results, improve our rankings, and secure Paralympic quotas,” Kolomiets said.
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World-Class Competition in Notshrei
The Para Biathlon World Cup stage is being held from January 8 to 11 at the Notshrei Winter Sports Center in Germany. Around 70 athletes from 17 countries are taking part in the competition.
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Khamitov’s bronze medal underscores Kazakhstan’s growing presence in para sports and strengthens the team’s momentum ahead of the Paralympic qualification races.
