# 1988–89 Biathlon World Cup

The 1988–89 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the UIPMB (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon). The season started on 15 December 1988 in Albertville, France, and ended on 19 March 1989 in Steinkjer Municipality, Norway. It was the 12th season of the Biathlon World Cup.

## Calendar

Below is the World Cup calendar for the 1988–89 season.
| Location | Date | Individual | Sprint | Team event | Relay |
| Albertville | 15–18 December | ● | ● | ● | |
| Borovets | 19–22 January | ● | ● | | ● |
| Ruhpolding | 26–29 January | ● | ● | | ● |
| Feistritz | 7–12 February | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Hämeenlinna | 2–5 March | ● | ● | ● | |
| Östersund | 9–12 March | ● | ● | | ● |
| Steinkjer | 16–19 March | ● | ● | ● | |
| Total | Total | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
* 1989 World Championship races were not included in the 1988–89 World Cup scoring system.
* The relays were technically unofficial races as they did not count towards anything in the World Cup.

## World Cup Podium
### Men

| Stage | Date | Place | Discipline | Winner | Second | Third | Yellow bib (After competition) |
| 1 | 15 December 1988 | Albertville | 20 km Individual | Birk Anders | Alexandr Popov | Frank-Peter Roetsch | Birk Anders |
| 1 | 17 December 1988 | Albertville | 10 km Sprint | Frank Luck | Eirik Kvalfoss | Birk Anders | Birk Anders |
| 2 | 19 January 1989 | Borovets | 20 km Individual | Jan Matouš | Thierry Gerbier | Eirik Kvalfoss | Eirik Kvalfoss |
| 2 | 21 January 1989 | Borovets | 10 km Sprint | Birk Anders | Ernst Reiter | Frank-Peter Roetsch | Eirik Kvalfoss |
| 3 | 26 January 1989 | Ruhpolding | 20 km Individual | Sergei Bulygin | Alexandr Popov | Frank-Peter Roetsch | Frank-Peter Roetsch |
| 3 | 28 January 1989 | Ruhpolding | 10 km Sprint | Frank-Peter Roetsch | Eirik Kvalfoss | Alexandr Popov | Frank-Peter Roetsch |
| 4 | 2 March 1989 | Hämeenlinna | 20 km Individual | Alexandr Popov | Eirik Kvalfoss | Sergei Tchepikov | Eirik Kvalfoss |
| 4 | 4 March 1989 | Hämeenlinna | 10 km Sprint | Eirik Kvalfoss | Juri Kashkarov | Valeriy Medvedtsev | Eirik Kvalfoss |
| 5 | 9 March 1989 | Östersund | 20 km Individual | Sergei Tchepikov | Valeriy Medvedtsev | Alexandr Popov | Eirik Kvalfoss |
| 5 | 11 March 1989 | Östersund | 10 km Sprint | Johann Passler | Lars Wiklund | André Sehmisch | Eirik Kvalfoss |
| 6 | 16 March 1989 | Steinkjer | 20 km Individual | Fritz Fischer | Alexandr Popov | Ernst Reiter | Eirik Kvalfoss |
| 6 | 18 March 1989 | Steinkjer | 10 km Sprint | Fritz Fischer | Sergei Tchepikov | Thierry Gerbier | Eirik Kvalfoss |

### Women

| Stage | Date | Place | Discipline | Winner | Second | Third | Yellow bib (After competition) | Det. |
| 1 | 15 December 1988 | Les Saisies | 15 km Individual | Mariya Manolova | Anne Elvebakk | Petra Schaaf | Mariya Manolova | Detail |
| 1 | 17 December 1988 | Les Saisies | 7.5 km Sprint | Nadezhda Aleksieva | Natalia Prikazchikova | Tsvetana Krasteva | Mariya Manolova | Detail |
| 2 | 19 January 1989 | Borovets | 15 km Individual | Natalia Ivanova | Elena Golovina | Luiza Tcherepanova | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 2 | 21 January 1989 | Borovets | 7.5 km Sprint | Elena Golovina | Tsvetana Krasteva | Elin Kristiansen | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 3 | 26 January 1989 | Ruhpolding | 15 km Individual | Martina Stede | Natalia Prikazchikova | Elena Golovina | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 3 | 28 January 1989 | Ruhpolding | 7.5 km Sprint | Svetlana Davidova | Elena Golovina | Mariya Manolova | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 4 | 2 March 1989 | Hämeenlinna | 15 km Individual | Elena Golovina | Svetlana Davidova | Natalia Prikazchikova | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 4 | 4 March 1989 | Hämeenlinna | 7.5 km Sprint | Elena Golovina | Natalia Prikazchikova | Seija Hyytiäinen | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 5 | 9 March 1989 | Östersund | 15 km Individual | Iva Shkodreva | Tsvetana Krasteva | Svetlana Davidova | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 5 | 11 March 1989 | Östersund | 7.5 km Sprint | Natalia Prikazchikova | Anne Elvebakk | Tsvetana Krasteva | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 6 | 16 March 1989 | Steinkjer | 15 km Individual | Martina Stede | Mona Bollerud | Elin Kristiansen | Elena Golovina | Detail |
| 6 | 18 March 1989 | Steinkjer | 7.5 km Sprint | Anne Elvebakk | Svetlana Davidova | Synnøve Thoresen | Elena Golovina | Detail |

### Men's team

| Event | Date | Place | Discipline | Winner | Second | Third |
| 1 | 18 December 1988 | Albertville | Team event | East Germany Birk Anders André Sehmisch Frank-Peter Roetsch Frank Luck | Czechoslovakia Tomáš Kos Martin Rypl Jaroslav Pinc Jan Matouš | France Christian Dumont Thierry Gerbier Francis Mougel Hervé Flandin |
| 2 | 22 January 1989 | Borovets | 4x7.5 km Relay | West Germany Ernst Reiter Alois Reiter Herbert Fritzenwenger Fritz Fischer | East Germany Frank Luck André Sehmisch Birk Anders Frank-Peter Roetsch | Czechoslovakia Tomáš Kos Martin Rypl Jan Matouš Jiří Holubec |
| 3 | 29 January 1989 | Ruhpolding | 4x7.5 km Relay | East Germany Frank Luck André Sehmisch Frank-Peter Roetsch Birk Anders | Soviet Union Dmitry Vasilyev Sergei Tchepikov Alexandr Popov Valeriy Medvedtsev | West Germany Ernst Reiter Franz Wudy Herbert Fritzenwenger Fritz Fischer |
| 4 | 5 March 1989 | Hämeenlinna | Team event | Soviet Union Juri Kashkarov Valeriy Medvedtsev Sergei Tchepikov Anatoly Zhdanovich | Sweden Karl-Gunnar Grenemark Roger Westling Lars Wiklund Peter Sjoeden | France Francis Mougel Lionel Laurent Thierry Dusserre Hervé Flandin |
| 5 | 12 March 1989 | Östersund | 4x7.5 km Relay | Soviet Union Juri Kashkarov Sergei Tchepikov Alexandr Popov Valeriy Medvedtsev | Norway Geir Einang Frode Løberg Gisle Fenne Eirik Kvalfoss | East Germany Frank Luck André Sehmisch Raik Dittrich Birk Anders |
| 6 | 19 March 1989 | Steinkjer | Team event | Norway Frode Løberg Geir Einang Gisle Fenne Eirik Kvalfoss | Italy Werner Kiem Andreas Zingerle Johann Passler Gottlieb Taschler | Soviet Union Juri Kashkarov Valeriy Medvedtsev Alexandr Popov Sergei Tchepikov |

### Women's team

| Event | Date | Place | Discipline | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2 | 22 January 1989 | Borovets | 3x6 km Relay | West Germany Martina Stede Dorina Pieper Petra Schaaf | Norway Synnøve Thoresen Elin Kristiansen Anne Elvebakk | Soviet Union Natalia Prikazchikova Tatiana Sharamtchevskaia Anna Kuzmina |
| 3 | 29 January 1989 | Ruhpolding | 3x6 km Relay | Soviet Union Natalia Prikazchikova Svetlana Davidova Elena Golovina | Finland Tuija Vuoksiala Pirjo Mattila Seija Hyytiäinen | Bulgaria Cvetana Krasteva Nadezhda Aleksieva Mariya Manolova |
| 5 | 12 March 1989 | Östersund | 3x6 km Relay | Soviet Union Natalia Prikazchikova Elena Golovina Svetlana Davidova | Bulgaria Cvetana Krasteva Iva Shkodreva Nadezhda Aleksieva | Norway Synnøve Thoresen Elin Kristiansen Anne Elvebakk |

## Standings: Men
### Overall

| Pos. | | Points |
| 1. | Eirik Kvalfoss | 195 |
| 2. | Alexandr Popov | 184 |
| 3. | Sergei Tchepikov | 164 |
| 4. | Birk Anders | 157 |
| 5. | Valeriy Medvedtsev | 149 |
* Final standings after 12 races.

## Standings: Women
### Overall

| Pos. | | Points |
| 1. | Elena Golovina | 210 |
| 2. | Natalia Prikazchikova | 187 |
| 3. | Svetlana Davidova | 185 |
| 4. | Cvetana Krasteva | 176 |
| 5. | Anne Elvebakk | 165 |
* Final standings after 12 races.

## Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 12 | 14 | 9 | 35 |
| 2 | West Germany | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 3 | East Germany | 5 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
| 4 | Bulgaria | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 5 | Norway | 2 | 8 | 5 | 15 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Finland | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | France | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Sweden | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (10 entries) | Totals (10 entries) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 90 |

## Achievements
### Men
#### First World Cup career victory

* Birk Anders (GDR), 21, in his 3rd season — the WC 1 Individual in Albertville; it also was his first podium
* Frank Luck (GDR), 21, in his 3rd season — the WC 1 Sprint in Albertville; it also was his first podium
* Sergei Bulygin (URS), 25, in his 7th season — the WC 3 Individual in Ruhpolding; first podium was the 1984–85 Sprint in Antholz-Anterselva
* Sergei Tchepikov (URS), 22, in his 3rd season — the WC 5 Individual in Östersund; first podium was the 1988–89 Individual in Hämeenlinna

#### First World Cup podium

* Thierry Gerbier (FRA), 23, in his 4th season — no. 2 in the WC 2 Individual in Borovets
* Sergei Tchepikov (URS), 22, in his 3rd season — no. 3 in the WC 4 Individual in Hämeenlinna
* Lars Wiklund (SWE), in his 3rd season — no. 2 in the WC 5 Sprint in Östersund

#### Victory in this World Cup (all-time number of victories in parentheses)

* Fritz Fischer (FRG), 2 (7) first places
* Birk Anders (GDR), 2 (2) first places
* Frank-Peter Roetsch (GDR), 1 (10) first place
* Eirik Kvalfoss (NOR), 1 (10) first place
* Jan Matouš (TCH), 1 (2) first place
* Alexandr Popov (URS), 1 (2) first place
* Johann Passler (ITA), 1 (2) first place
* Frank Luck (GDR), 1 (1) first place
* Sergei Bulygin (URS), 1 (1) first place
* Sergei Tchepikov (URS), 1 (1) first place

### Women
#### Victory in this World Cup (all-time number of victories in parentheses)

* Elena Golovina (URS), 3 (3) first places
* Martina Stede (GER), 2 (2) first places
* Mariya Manolova (BUL), 1 (1) first place
* Nadezhda Aleksieva (BUL), 1 (1) first place
* Natalia Ivanova (URS), 1 (1) first place
* Svetlana Davidova (URS), 1 (1) first place
* Iva Shkodreva (BUL), 1 (1) first place
* Natalia Prikazchikova (URS), 1 (1) first place
* Anne Elvebakk (NOR), 1 (1) first place

## Retirements

The following notable biathletes retired after the 1988–89 season:
* Juha Tella (FIN)
* Ernst Reiter (FRG)
* Herbert Fritzenwenger (FRG)
* Stefan Höck (FRG)
* Roger Westling (SWE)
* Sergei Bulygin (URS)
* Marie-Pierre Baby (FRA)
* Mona Bollerud (NOR)
* Natalia Prikazchikova (URS)