WHISTLER, British Columbia — Even though she's won Slovakia's first gold medal at a Winter Olympics, Russian-born Anastasia Kuzmina can't celebrate too much. If anything, the pressure on her is even greater.
"Now," Kuzmina said, "the expectation in Slovakia is that I will get another medal."
Showing steely nerves and icy composure both on and off the course at Whistler Olympic Park, Kuzmina captured the 7.5-kilometer sprint Saturday, the first biathlon race of the Vancouver Games.
Kuzmina called her win "a big surprise" and no one would disagree, given she is ranked a mere 28th on the World Cup circuit. Now everyone will be noticing her when she competes Tuesday in the 10 kilometer pursuit.
"I need to stay calm and forget what happened in the sprint," Kuzmina said, "and take the next race as a new race."
Forget what happened? That won't be easy for anyone on the podium Saturday. Gold, silver and bronze were all unexpected medalists.
Magdalena Neuner of Germany took second in her Olympic debut, and Marie Dorin of France took the bronze, freely admitting it was something she never counted on.
"I was not expecting a medal in the individual race," Dorin said. "It's a little bit weird, it's a little bizarre, but it's also awesome."
Kuzmina grew up in Russia and switched allegiances in 2008. The only other Slovakian to win a medal at the Winter Games was Radoslav Zidek _ a silver in men's snowboardcross at the Turin Games.
Kuzmina turned in an incredible time on a slushy surface, then stayed calm as one by one her competitors slogged across the finish line with slower times, many of them collapsing in exhaustion or disappointment.
"I never watch those behind me," Kuzmina explained. "I never pay attention to the leaderboard, either. What I try to do is take a break and go to the dressing room. It's a lot more pleasant actually to look at the table when everything is said and done."
The course was sprinkled with fertilizer because days of rain and sleet had reduced the grounds at Whistler Olympic Park to mush. The white granules harden the snow and act like a salt.
"Yesterday, it was very, very snowy," said Daniel Kuzmin, Kuzmina's coach and husband. "Today we had great tracks, which really helped us."
His 25-year-old wife missed one shot in the prone position, but she increased her tempo on the second and third loops on her perfectly waxed skis. She shot cleanly in the standing position before crossing the finish in 19 minutes, 55.6 seconds.
Sweden's Helena Jonsson was the favorite and World Cup leader, but she finished in 12th despite knocking down all 10 targets.
"I have absolutely no idea what happened," said Jonsson, who won the world title in the event last year and has four World Cup wins this season.
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