After catching up, the German women’s relay team secured their second podium place of the winter at the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof.
Selina Grotian, Julia Tannheimer, Janina Hettich-Walz and final runner Franziska Preuß took third place on Saturday after one penalty and 13 spares, as in Hochfilzen (+1:28.4 minutes). The favored French women around the overall World Cup leader Lou Jeanmonnot (0 penalties + 8 spares) secured victory confidently ahead of Norway (1+7/+53.7 seconds).
Grotian, who is making her comeback in Oberhof after a long illness break, opened for the German team. She then gave the DSV quartet a penalty while standing, and Tannheimer entered the trail in tenth position. “I thought to myself when I was standing down: ‘Oh, this could be difficult,'” Grotian said on ARD: “I did my best, but unfortunately with the penalty loop.”
As a result, Tannheimer also needed numerous spares – and yet she brought the DSV team up to fifth place. “The wind wasn’t really a problem, it was more the cold,” said the 20-year-old. Hettich-Walz led the German quartet to second place before Germany’s Sportswoman of the Year Preuß had to let Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide pass after three spare rounds in the last shooting.
On Sunday (2:30 p.m.) the biathletes will still be pursuing the race in the Thuringian Forest. Preuß goes into the cross-country ski trail 47 seconds behind sprint winner Elvira Öberg, followed closely by Hettich-Walz with 50 seconds. Before that there is the men’s relay (11 a.m. / ARD and Eurosport).