"My body has been fighting for a long time": German biathlete cancels the Olympics and talks about the diagnosis

Created: 01/18/2022, 16:56

By: Andreas Knobloch

Maren Hammerschmidt condemned to watch.

Olympia 2022 falls flat.

© Screenshot Maren Hammerschmidt Instagram

The Olympics are every athlete's dream.

Stupid only if something comes up and prevents participation.

As with biathlete Maren Hammerschmidt.

Munich – You work hard all summer to be able to fulfill your big dream of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

The Winter Games from February 4th to 20th are the goal of every winter sports enthusiast.

Like that of biathlete Maren Hammerschmidt, who is now addressing sad words to her fans.

Because her big dream of the 2022 Olympics has burst.

The 32-year-old wrote a long statement on her Instagram page, describing her feelings and even revealing a diagnosis.

Olympia 2022 without Maren Hammerschmidt: German biathlete with an emotional statement

In 2018 at the Pyeongchang Olympics, Hammerschmidt took 17th place in the individual. In no other discipline did she get a chance. That should change in 2022 (click here for the schedule), but now the big setback. "My new year is currently running like a triangle," she begins her statement with a suitable comparison. "The sport can be beautiful, but also very disappointing..." she continues. Her sentences are accompanied by a photo of how she is just a spectator at the competition. If the words weren't so emotional, there would be something idyllic about the picture with the sun.

“Although I was able to train well over Christmas and New Year and put everything on one card to still have a chance for the Olympics, one infection came immediately after the other. After the catastrophic competitions last week in Osrblie, it was clear to me that something was wrong.” Hammerschmidt took part in the “2. Biathlon League” to get back into World Cup shape. There she was in Brezno-Osrblie in her last race 70th in singles. Which absolutely does not meet their requirements. And why that was so, she also describes: “I could no longer ignore the fact that I had been dealing with a rash on my upper body for days. Unfortunately, my body has been fighting an infection for a long time, which is also the reason for a ringworm. Health must come first!” is her summary of the past few days.

Olympia 2022: Maren Hammerschmidt has at least not given up on the season

It's logical that she's sad.

In the summer she trained hard for her dream.

“I had set myself big goals this season and gave everything to achieve them in the summer and autumn.

But the dream of the Olympics is over," says Hammerschmidt, who is not yet completely writing off the season: "Now I will first concentrate on getting completely healthy again so that I can then still run competitions this winter."