As of: February 14, 2024, 5:24 a.m
By: Christoph Klaucke
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Germany has so far come away empty-handed at the Biathlon World Cup.
The DSV team is struggling with equipment and the cross-country ski trail.
The ski hunters are at their wits' end.
Nove Mesto – Germany experienced a nightmare at the Biathlon World Cup last weekend.
At the first competitions in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, there was not a single medal for the DSV.
After the successful German biathlon team achieved a clear round after the first week of the World Cup for only the third time in this millennium, Franziska Preuß, Philipp Horn and Co. were filled with anger, frustration and helplessness.
“It really pisses me off”: German ski hunters devastated at the Biathlon World Cup
“The running time is by far the worst thing I have offered this winter.
That really pisses me off,” complained Philipp Horn after the World Championship sprint on Saturday.
“You notice in every meter how much time you're putting in.” He actually “felt good” on the route, emphasized Johannes Kühn: “But when I look at the list of results, I didn't have any orders.”
Over the ten kilometers, the German quartet was 1:16 to 1:42 minutes behind the fastest runners - far from the level of the previous season.
“We lost an enormous amount of time, from interim to interim.
There’s nothing to shake it up about,” complained sports director Felix Bitterling.
After the fluorine ban, waxing is “a dance on the razor blade every week and such a blade is narrow.
“You can fall down very quickly in any direction,” explained Bitterling.
Philipp Horn is frustrated after his run at the Biathlon World Championships.
© Nils Koepke/Imago
German biathlon star cries bitter tears after tragedy
Things didn't go much better for women either.
After a historic false start, all the dams broke for Vanessa Voigt.
The 26-year-old said she was stunned and cried bitterly.
“That’s not the performance I want to achieve.
You work your ass off all year long, and then something like this happens.” Because of the material problems, there is a “need to talk.”
Especially in terms of running, there was nothing to gain for the DSV stars in the first five races against the outstanding French women and the dominant Norwegians around superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö, who won his 18th (!) World Championship gold - not even for Franzsika Preuß in the pursuit on Sunday over ten kilometers.
As in the sprint, the 29-year-old had to settle for sixth place in the renewed triumph of Julia Simon, who won her third gold ahead of the Italian Lisa Vittozzi and her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet.
On the route she lost over a minute to the best, while Voigt in 18th place lost almost two minutes.
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The ski material in the dirty and soft Czech snow remains the big German problem.
“We have to work extremely hard while the others are almost flying,” complained Bitterling on Sunday.
The men in pursuit also had no chance after the sprint debacle over 12.75 km - the route had been adjusted due to wind and rain.
In the historic Norwegian five-fold triumph, Johannes Kühn only ended up in a sobering 15th place as the best German after four shooting errors, more than three minutes behind.
Now we have to find the best mix for the soft and dirty conditions in the Czech Republic from 200 waxes, 70 hand structures (“probably the source of the problem”, Bitterling) and numerous ski grinds.
“Perhaps,” says Preuß, the technical team will find “a secret recipe” like the French until the women’s singles on Tuesday (5.10 p.m./ARD and Eurosport) – they are in a league of their own with the Norwegians when it comes to material.
(ck/sid)