The Nordic para-athletes have not yet been able to compete in international competitions this winter.
But now a light is opening for Clara Klug and guide Martin Härtl at the end of the tunnel - also important with regard to the Paralympics.
Weilheim - As the New Year approached, "the hangover came," reports Clara Klug.
The 26-year-old para-athlete from Munich and her guide and trainer, Martin Härtl (46) from Weilheim, had to nibble on the fact that the entire Nordic skiing season in the Paralympic area was on the brink.
In the calendar, the various dates are either “postponed” or “canceled” - and there was no other prospect of any international competitions in biathlon and cross-country skiing.
But Klug and Härtl have freed themselves from the depths, also because light appeared at the end of the tunnel in the form of two World Cup events.
In Planica, Slovenia (from February 28th) and in Vuokatti, Finland (from March 15th), a total of twelve races are on the program.
Klug and Härtl are happy about the World Cups in Planica and Vuokatti
She is “very, very happy” about this perspective, says Klug.
Sure, the team's big goals are still far ahead, in 2022. First there is the World Championship in Lillehammer in January (postponed by a year due to Corona) and then in March the all-out Paralympics in Beijing.
But competitive athletes always have the here and now in mind.
"We are all anxious to be able to show our skills," says Klug.
It sounds banal, but it's true: no matter how good training, it is no substitute for competition.
So it's all the nicer that there are at least two World Cups this year.
"I'm looking forward to being able to perform," says Klug.
International comparisons "are very important".
In the corona pandemic, she and Coach Härtl are extremely careful to minimize contact with others as much as possible.
They left out high-altitude training camps and mountain runs.
The duo also deliberately decided not to take courses with the national team.
A treadmill test in Oberwiesenthal was an exception.
"We didn't meet the rest of the team," reports the Munich resident.
There are no comparisons with other para-athletes, but a look at our own performance values over the past few years gives us confidence: "At least I haven't taken a step back," says Klug.
You have a "good feeling on the ski" and "much less fear of descents".
Klug competes in cross-country skiing and biathlon in the class for visually impaired women.
In the cross-country ski run, she is given commands by Härtl, who acts as the forerunner.
On descents, both are up to 50 km / h fast.
The team celebrated its greatest successes in biathlon: In February 2019, the two Bavarians won three golds at the Para World Cup in Canada.
At the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea, they won biathlon bronze twice.
Preparation in summer with obstacles
During the summer and autumn preparations, not everything went as planned.
A medical procedure at Klug was postponed for a few weeks.
Just while walking, the Munich woman tore a ligament.
And in the fall, she suffered from bronchitis.
“Martin's skills as a trainer were put to the test,” she says with a smile.
So the training plan had to be adapted again and again.
For a short time, Klug was even “very happy” that there were no competitions in December.
So she was able to catch up in training.
What, on the other hand, worked perfectly, were the roller ski units, which the duo mainly completed on the mostly little-traveled tar roads in Weilheimer Hardt.
Biathlon training always goes to the base in Kaltenbrunn;
Klug works there with Herbert Mayer, whom Härtl describes as an “luminary”: You rarely find someone with such an experience.
On the trails around Kaltenbrunn and around Ettal, Klug and Härtl are doing their entire program on snow this year.
Since the two of them have been part of the Bavarian Police's elite sports promotion group, they can concentrate well on training.
Due to the Corona restrictions, however, the duo waived the usual trips to Seefeld / Tyrol.
Corona means a special challenge, especially for Klug.
As a visually impaired person, it is naturally difficult for you to keep your distance from others.
When she takes the train to Weilheim for training, “I have to rely on people to keep my distance”.
In the first lockdown she did not drive a train for a long time.
Luckily, when she moved into her new apartment, she bought a treadmill and other exercise equipment.
This means that she can now reel off her programs at home - and is also not dependent on fitness studios, which have been closed for months due to Corona.
The protective masks, however, are a problem: over the years they have learned to walk straight ahead very well on their own, says Klug. But it no longer works with the mask: "It enormously limits my ability to orientate myself." The way to training alone is more exhausting. Klug has absolutely no doubt about the purpose of the masks and the need to wear them. A corona disease with possible long-term consequences "especially endurance athletes absolutely cannot use".