ANTHOLZ, Italy (AP) Simon Schempp of Germany claimed a second successive biathlon World Cup win, storming to victory in the 10-kilometer sprint on Thursday.
Schempp, who needed a photo finish to win his first event of the season on Sunday, again shot cleanly. Russia's Evgeniy Garanichev was also perfect on the range, but finished 14 seconds behind.
''This is crazy,'' Schempp said. ''The last three races were really good for me. I made good progress in my training over Christmas. I am really happy about January.
''It is not easy to shoot here; the altitude of 1,600 meters is not the same as at 800-900 meters. It is difficult, but I have felt safe here all week; it is perfect for me on the shooting range.''
Jakov Fak of Slovenia missed one target on his way to third place, 20.1 seconds behind Schempp, who also won the event last year.
Overall leader Martin Fourcade finished 25th after missing two targets.
Schempp tightened his grip on third place overall, and closed the gap on Fourcade to 43 points. Anton Shipulin, who finished seventh in Antholz, was second.
