Canadian biathlete Rosanna Crawford earns 1st-ever World Cup medal

Canadian biathlete Rosanna Crawford landed on the World Cup podium for the first time in her career with a third-place finish in Ruhpolding, Germany, on Thursday.

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Dorothea Wiererof Italy won the women's 15-kilometre individual race her first win of the season with a time of 41 minutes 29.0 seconds. Finland's Kaisa Makarainenfinished 12.7 seconds back in second, followed by the 29-year-old Crawford, who claimed bronze at 21.2 behind the winner.

Crawford also shot cleanly as she claimed her first ever podium place.

"Not something I was really expecting this season," the Canmore, Alta., native said.

Ukrainians Yuliia Dzhima and Valj Semerenko finished fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Darya Domracheva.

Belarus teammate Nadezhda Skardino's seventh place was enough to win the individual crystal globe after her first place in Ostersund, Sweden.

Overall World Cup leader Anastasiya Kuzmina finished ninth, 1:32.3 behind with three missed targets. After 11 races, the Slovakian biathlete leads on 454 points, ahead of Makarainen on 429 and Wierer on 378.

Julia Ransom finished 34th, Sarah Beaudrywas 53rd, and Emma Lundercame in at 67 to round out the Canadians in the field.