The German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier sees increasing problems for winter sports in view of the approaching climate catastrophe.
Oberhof - Laura Dahlmeier was able to win a world championship title seven times during her active biathlon career, but now the Garmisch-Partenkirchen resident has doubts about the future of winter sports.
In an interview with the
sports information service,
the enthusiastic climber talks about the effects of climate change and combines this with an appeal to society.
In contrast to the climatic situation, Dahlmeier is less worried about the sporting future of German biathlon.
Dahlmeier: Extreme weather affects “all of us”
Since retiring from biathlon in May 2019, Laura Dahlmeier has continued to be active in sports, and so she now pursues climbing and mountaineering privately.
This is one of the reasons why she notices the changes in nature “very particularly”.
"Weather extremes are getting stronger and last longer," she looks with concern at the almost unstoppable climatic changes.
One of the visible consequences of climate change in the mountains is the massive retreat of glaciers.
“There are mountains that no longer exist.
They have already collapsed," says Dahlmeier, describing the consequences of the melting glacier.
In order to at least slow down this development, she formulates an urgent appeal: It is about "everyone getting involved and thinking about the future", because "that doesn't just affect me as a mountaineer, but all of us."
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Laura Dahlmeier, here in the arena at Schalke, is worried about the future.
© IMAGO/Peter Hartenfelser
Dahlmeier sees a problem in "being able to organize good and reasonable competitions on a permanent basis"
Dahlmeier sees major problems in her former parade sport of biathlon and winter sports in general.
“In winter sports you notice the effects first.
When the winter is warm and there is no snow, everyone sees it,” she addresses the consequences that are already visible.
In this winter sports season, the downhill World Cup races in Garmisch-Partenkirchen have already been canceled due to a lack of snow.
A scenario, one believes Dahlmeier, which could be repeated more often.
"If you look into the future, it will certainly be even more difficult to be able to organize really good and sensible competitions on a permanent basis," says the two-time Olympic gold medal winner.
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Images that you will probably have to get used to in the future.
The Kandahar departure on January 10, 2023.
© OK Ski World Cup
Despite Oberhof disillusionment: Dahlmeier sees DSV Biathlon "quite well positioned"
The former world-class athlete also commented on the sporting situation of the German biathlon team.
Despite the sobering performance at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, she sees the team as "quite well positioned".
"You could see at the World Cup that the younger women are just catching up to the world's best.
It's not that bad in the offspring, there's a lot to come," she said in an interview, expressing her optimism.
Even if the home World Cup was not quite as successful in terms of sport, she “could feel the fascination of the sport in Oberhof.
It's a great sport.
I hope that in the future there will be a lot of people who are enthusiastic about winter sports.” For the near future she has 18-year-old Selina Grotian in particular on her radar.
This was able to dust off a full set of medals at the European Championships in Lenzerheide.
(sch/SID)
List of rubrics: © IMAGO/Peter Hartenfelser
