Did you find it difficult to get in or was it too far away? The German biathletes pose some puzzles after the start of the World Cup.
The German biathlon team has had a sobering start to the Olympic winter. In the dark Östersund, German rays of hope were rare. The bare numbers speak volumes: If you count the relays, there are two fourth places, three eighth places and one tenth place. The performances were not enough to be present at the award ceremony.
Bitterling: No need to worry
DSV sports director Felix Bitterling
DSV sports director Felix Bitterling did not want to overstate the poor performance at the start of the World Cup. “We saw a lot of solid things to build on”he said after the sobering pursuit races on Sunday (December 7th, 2025). Reason for concern? No! Headache for the athletic director? Neither. “We just came in a little difficult“, Bitterling explained the meager yield. They never managed to combine good shooting and good running on the same day, said the 44-year-old and followed up: “If that works, then we can attack at the front.”
Nawrath: “It’s a brutal level”
The road there is a long one this early in the season. At least Philipp Nawrath makes no secret of this. The veteran only made one mistake in his pursuit, but that wasn’t enough to catch up. On the contrary: Nawrath even lost a place (13th) because he was almost 45 seconds slower than the top runners over 12.5 kilometers. “It’s a brutal level and really difficult to get into the front. I can’t get it right on the track anymore. It’s what I’m capable of at the moment, so I have to be happy with that.”
Horn is running well
Philipp Horn was in the best shape, coming in eighth place in the individual over 20 kilometers and was also well within striking distance of his pursuer on Sunday, at least on the cross-country ski run, with the twelfth-best running time. However, four mistakes prevented him from achieving a top result. “It has to get better, but I’m still looking forward, the form is right and I’m hungry for more.”said the Thuringian.
DSV women with light and shadow
The German biathlon women are also traveling from Sweden to the next World Cup station in Hochfilzen with worries and a few question marks. Overall World Cup winner Franziska Preuß finished 29th in the individual. She missed the sprint because she was sick because her pursuer was hanging on, so it remained an individual race for the reliable podium finisher from the previous season.
While Preuß is looking at used days in Östersund, Julia Tannheimer showed her talent in eighth place in the sprint. In the pursuit, the 20-year-old impressed with the fifth-fastest time, but five shooting errors dashed all hopes of a second top result. Vanessa Voigt brought together good running and good shooting in the pursuit. It’s just a shame that after a botched sprint she had to make up an XXL deficit in 32nd place. Voigt made up 22 places, which was enough for tenth place, but not for the award ceremony.
Julia Tannheimer impressed in eighth place in the sprint.
Goals are different
“Flower Ceremony or Podium are our claim and our goal. We will do everything we can again in Hochfilzen to jump on it,” Bitterling explained on Sunday on ZDF. Maybe that’s why he remains so relaxed because the Germans have trimmed their form towards the Olympics. When running and shooting come together in the arena in Antholz in February 2026, no one will remember the meager results at the start of the World Cup in cold, dark Östersund.