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Thierry Langer tried to get his ski pole, snow and ice out of his gun
Photo: Darko Bandic / dpa
The Belgian biathlete Thierry Langer caused a scare in the mixed relay race at the Pokljuka World Cup.
Before standing, the 31-year-old suddenly looked straight into his rifle at the shooting range on Sunday, but contrary to initial fears he had no magazine left in his gun.
“Of course I took out the magazine again, tried to clear my sight.
I didn't succeed because it was just full of ice," Langer said on ZDF.
The skijager had fallen before and snow and ice got caught in his gun, that was the cause of his problems.
He also lost a magazine of cartridges along the way.
"It then took a while before the people at the shooting range realized that I needed a second magazine," said Langer, who destroyed his rifle in the crash, at the finish line.
"When I put the magazine in, I saw that I didn't see anything."
Langer hits with the spare rifle
Langer tried to get a clear view through the gun with his ski pole and poked at the barrel.
But he didn't succeed and was given a spare rifle.
With this he even hit all five shots and was able to continue the competition.
"I tried to do what I could," Langer said.
Even if it all seemed daring, according to his statement, there was no danger.
Belgium ended up tenth.
In biathlon it is strictly forbidden to look down the barrel of a loaded small caliber weapon.
There is danger to life if a shot is fired.
If the rule is disregarded, severe penalties are threatened by the world association IBU.
German team disappointed
The German biathletes clearly missed the podium.
The quartet around Roman Rees, Benedikt Doll, Sophia Schneider and Denise Herrmann-Wick finished fifth at the World Championship dress rehearsal in the mixed relay after two penalties and eleven spare rounds. After 4x7.5 kilometers it was 1:09.9 minutes to the victorious French with one penalty and seven spares.