Pyeongchang, South Korea  - Kati Wilhelm won the sprint gold from Simone Hauswald as Germany had a flying start into the biathlon world championships on Saturday.

Wilhelm, 32, hit all 10 targets in the shooting range and covered the 7.5-kilometres distance in 21 minutes 11.1 seconds.

Hauswald was also flawless in the shooting range and trailed by 9.9 seconds in second place. Third place went to Russian Olga Zaitseva with zero faults and a deficit of 27.1 seconds.

Wilhelm captured her fourth career world title as Germany won the women's sprint gold at the worlds for the fourth time in succession, following Uschi Disl in 2005, Magdalena Neuner 2007 and Andrea Henkel 2008.

The men's sprint was scheduled for later Saturday, with World Cup leader and two-time 2008 world champion Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway a notable absence due to illness. Svendsen will also miss Sunday's pursuit because that race is based on Saturday's results.

Also not competing are Russian stars Ekaterina Iourieva, Albina Akhatova and Dmitri Yaroshenko who are suspended after failing doping tests. The athletes left Pyeongchang on Friday before the official annoucement was made. (dpa)