Biathlete suddenly directs the barrel of his gun – ZDF expert rages and demands disqualification

Created: 01/10/2023 10:13 am

By: Marius Epp

ZDF expert Sven Fischer (left) does not like watching Thierry Langer (right) cleaning his gun barrel.

© ZDF Mediathek/dpa/Bandic

Scary scene at the biathlon on the Pokljuka: Belgian Thierry Langer suddenly tampers with the barrel of his gun at the shooting range.

Pokljuka - There are botched races - and then there's Thierry Langer's afternoon.

The Belgian biathlete fell at the World Cup on the Slovenian Pokljuka and broke his stick.

His rifle was also affected.

To the horror of many, he then poked around in the barrel of his gun at the shooting range.

Biathlon: Belgian Langer directs the barrel of his gun to himself

Apparently snow had settled there after the fall, which Langer wanted to remove.

He even pointed the barrel at himself and peered in to get a better look at the clog.

Meanwhile, viewers on site and on TV held their breath.

ZDF expert and ex-biathlete Herbert Fritzenwenger was deeply shocked: "Let's hope that there is no magazine in it.

That would be life-threatening," he said.

Fortunately, the all-clear was given shortly afterwards: Langer had actually removed the magazine before he began to work on the rifle.

Biathlon 2022/23: squad of German biathletes

Biathlon fright about Thierry Langer - ZDF expert Fischer in rage

"When I introduced the magazine, I saw that I hadn't seen anything," Langer told ZDF in fluent German after the mixed season.

He then took the magazine out again.

"Then I tried to clear my grain, but everything was full of ice."

When the cleanup failed, he was given a new rifle, with which he hit all five shots.

So no danger?

Probably, although in biathlon it is strictly forbidden to look down the barrel of a loaded gun.

Even if it wasn't in this case: ZDF expert Sven Fischer was anything but enthusiastic about the scene.

"You always have to expect something to happen.

You must never put your head or any part of your body in front of the muzzle,” he warned.

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Biathlon: ZDF expert Fischer demands disqualification from Langer

Fischer even demanded a disqualification of the Belgian squadron because of the incident.

"Never, never look into the barrel muzzle.

That is not how it works.

You would even have to disqualify this season - from an educational point of view," he said to himself.

His Eurosport colleague Michael Rösch, who once also started for Belgium, saw things more relaxed.

Although the scene looked “crappy”, “there was never any danger.

He might have been able to open the lock so that everyone could see that there was nothing in it.” So far this winter there hasn't been much snow in the Alps - DSV star Denise Herrmann-Wick fears a tragedy at the home World Cup in Ruhpolding.