After the initial “shock”, training a young mother was new territory for the coaches, but it worked well together, as national coach Kristian Mehringer said. The 44-year-old sees Hettich-Walz as a “role model, perhaps for the next generation.” It shows that family and a sports career don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Sports director Felix Bitterling is already thinking ahead: “At some point we will need young biathletes and the chance is certainly greater if their dad or mom was already one.”
Franziska Preuß has the “utmost respect” for her teammate. Last season’s overall World Cup winner, who only wants to have children with her partner Simon Schempp after her career, said: “For me it wouldn’t have been an issue to reconcile both.”
The organizational effort is much higher for Hettich-Walz, but she can be sure of the support of her family. Her husband and grandparents take care of the little ones during training. In winter, Karlotta travels with her family as often as possible, but always stays away from her teammates because of the risk of infection. Unlike Paralympic champion Elena Semechin, Hettich-Walz’s sponsors did not drop out after she became pregnant.
Hettich-Walz is not alone in the role of parent in the German biathlon team, as a small “baby boom” has broken out among the men. Johannes Kühn (33/daughter), Justus Strelow (28/son) and Danilo Riethmüller (26/daughter) have become fathers. The three have grown a bit, “also in personality,” said the new men’s head coach Tobias Reiter.
The first in the group was Kühn in May, followed by Strelow in August and in September Riethmüller was present at the birth of his daughter. It was “beautiful, unique, unusual, strange,” “unique feelings” that you can’t get back so quickly, said Riethmüller, adding with a laugh: “Changing diapers is actually a little faster than shooting.”
Philipp Nawrath said that as a childless athlete he almost felt like an “outsider”. For the 32-year-old, the baby and biathlon constellation would apparently be nothing: “It’s a hard job that we do. That’s why I admire everyone who can do it.”