Greenland's Slettemark savours Olympic debut in biathlon

Greenland-born Sondre Slettemark finished 62nd in the 20km individual biathlon at Anterselva and said he was proud to be an Olympian; he will race the 10km sprint on Friday with a chance to qualify for the 12.5km pursuit.

Sondre Slettemark, born in Greenland, made his long-awaited Olympic debut in the 20km individual biathlon at Anterselva on Feb. 11. He competes for Denmark because Greenland does not have its own Olympic committee. The 21-year-old finished the race in 62nd place and described himself as satisfied and proud to be an Olympian. The course comprised five 4km laps and four shooting rounds at about 1,600 metres altitude. Event details: - Location and date: Anterselva, Italy, Feb. 11. - Result: Slettemark finished 62nd, 8 minutes 13 seconds behind winner Johan-Olav Botn of Norway. - Shooting and penalties: He missed three targets; each miss added one minute to his time. - Family background: He joins his father Oystein and sister Ukaleq among family members who are Olympians. - Next events: He is scheduled for the 10km sprint on Friday and could qualify for the 12.5km pursuit. Summary: Slettemark's debut is a personal milestone that attracted supportive messages from fans in Greenland. He will contest the 10km sprint on Friday with the possibility of reaching the 12.5km pursuit. The longer-term significance for his career is still to be determined.