(Corrects spelling of family name throughout to Vobornikova not Vorobnikova)
ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Tereza Vobornikova of the Czech Republic picked the perfect time to score her first individual podium result, taking Olympic bronze in the women's mass start on Saturday to give her team a major boost in the final biathlon race at the Milano Cortina Games.
With the exception of a bronze for Bulgaria, the biathlon medals at the Games had been shared among the sport's traditional superpowers such as Norway, France, Sweden, Germany and Italy, but Vobornikova ensured that the Czechs would be the eighth nation to make the podium with a dogged final lap.
"I cried a lot, but it was, it was happy tears," the 25-year-old told Reuters."And, yeah, it's just amazing, what happened to me today, and I can't be more happy right now."
Vobornikova came through tough weather conditions and enormous pressure to emerge from the final shoot in the lead, and even though she was chased down by the French pair of Oceane Michelon and Julia Simon, who took gold and silver respectively, she was still delighted with her race.
"I looked back, back quite a lot, and I saw a few people, and I thought no, I need a bigger gap. I don't know how to say it, but I tried to fight like hell in the last lap, and I am happy that it was enough for the bronze medal," she said.
"I think it was just incredible to lead the race for a while, at least, but I am not sad that it's not a gold or silver. I mean, this bronze medal means everything to me, and it definitely tastes like gold."
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Alison Williams)
