Before the upcoming Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof, DSV runner Justus Strelow looks at the secret stars of the weekend in his sport.de column. He also talks about the special features of the sprint race and a serious mistake that he must avoid at all costs.
While training in the Oberhof arena these days, my eyes fell on the quiet stars of the upcoming World Cup: us biathletes will undoubtedly own the stage from Thursday. We are in the spotlight. But without almost 700 volunteers, this stage would not exist at all.
With their great commitment, they ensure that a World Cup like this can take place – by setting up boards and fences in the stadium, as referees, stewards, shuttle drivers, ushers or as entertainers.
Biathlon World Cup becomes a family affair
One of them, Peter Groß from the small town of Floh-Seligenthal in Thuringia, has been helping out every single year since the 2004 World Cup! He is proud that the World Cup is taking place in his home country. On Sunday I saw him standing in the stands with a large shovel and, together with several colleagues, carefully clearing the snow from the rows and seat shells – after all, the spectators should enjoy maximum comfort in the competitions, which begin on Thursday with the men’s sprint.
At over 60, Peter Groß is still working full-time and always saves an extra ten days of vacation at the end of the year, which he then uses for his unpaid work in January. Volunteering in Oberhof has long been a family affair for him: his wife Corinna also makes her way to the Grenzadler early in the morning. His daughters Isabell and Beatrice even travel from Munich and Hamburg. This time even son-in-law Tobias.
It is true that we athletes rarely come into personal contact with all of these hard-working people who are also present at other competition venues. But I really appreciate this volunteer effort!
“Anything else would be a serious mistake”
The second trimester of the season starts with Oberhof. With only three World Cups left, the Olympic Games are already looming on the horizon. And yet I keep my focus strictly on the tasks that are directly in front of me. Anything else would be a serious mistake.
So first of all, put all your energy into the sprint, which doesn’t forgive any mistakes due to its shortness!
At the shooting range, only very good runners can afford to miss a shot. The sprint is a race against yourself: in the first lap you start at full throttle, in the second you try to maintain the pace somehow and in the third lap you reach the finish with the last of your energy until you can hardly look straight ahead. Advantage: The race is over after a maximum of 25 minutes and you can regenerate quickly.
With a good placement I would be very happy to thank Peter Groß and his hard-working colleagues!