Konstantin Vasilev created a rarely seen curiosity during the biathlon relay in Oberhof. The Bulgarian clearly left the course boundaries during an overtaking maneuver – and received the maximum penalty for it.
What a curious scene! Bulgarian Konstantin Vasilev attempted an overtaking maneuver against German biathlete Lucas Fratzscher during the biathlon relay in Oberhof. He succeeded – but there was a problem: The 22-year-old had clearly disregarded the course boundaries.
A biathlete astray? ARD expert Erik Lesser seemed momentarily speechless before analyzing in surprise. “Sorry, that’s leaving the course. That was an overtaking maneuver and almost a little intentional. That is indeed difficult,” he explained in the live commentary.
Konstantin Vasilev overtakes outside the course
“He clearly goes out during the overtaking maneuver. What’s wrong with him? Sorry, I’m just perplexed, what is he thinking?” he expressed his astonishment.
Biathlon in Oberhof: Bulgaria Disqualified
Even though Vasilev, at 22, doesn’t yet have extensive experience, he should have known that such a maneuver has consequences. The Bulgarian team was disqualified.
Particularly bitter: At the time of the rule violation, the Bulgarians were only 27 seconds behind the leading Norwegians and were in a good eighth place.
Vasilev had even taken over the lead as the second starter for his country, lying in sixth place.
While the Bulgarian team will now experience considerable frustration, Norway was able to celebrate a victory ahead of France and Sweden. Germany finished in fifth place, missing the podium by only 2.8 seconds after briefly leading.