Johannes Thingnes Bø has won four IBU World Cup races in a row ©Getty Images

Johannes Thingnes Bø won his fourth International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Cup race in a row - six if you include relays - today in Hochfilzen, leading the men's 12.5 kilometres pursuit from start to finish.

Despite picking up two penalties, Bø was 47.9sec clear of his closest rival, fellow Norwegian Sturla Holm Lægreid, who also accrued two penaties.

Frenchman Émilien Jacquelin was a further 26.0 back from Lægreid, after three shooting penalties.

They have been the top three in each of the last three individual races, and Lægreid like Bø has finished on the podium for six straight races, including relays.

France's Olympic pursuit champion Quentin Fillon Maillet and Swiss athlete Niklas Hartweg completed the top five.

Bø now has 389 points and leads Lægreid by 59 in the overall IBU World Cup standings.

France won the women's 4x6km relay ©Getty Images
France won the women's 4x6km relay ©Getty Images

There was also a women's 4x6km relay today at the Austrian venue, won by France.

The team of individual World Cup leader Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet and Chloé Chevalier finished 10.4sec ahead of Sweden, with Italy 18.5 off the pace in third.

Simon shot perfectly on the final leg to bring France home - a day after winning the 10km pursuit.

Sweden had won this season's only previous women's relay.

The IBU World Cup circuit now heads to Le Grand-Bornand in France, with racing due to begin on Thursday (December 15).