Biathlon individual in Kontiolathi
German men disappoint when they return to the World Cup
Updated March 6, 2026 – 6:56 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
At the Olympic Games, the German biathlon team fell far short of expectations. Even the return to the World Cup brought little improvement.
The German biathlon men are still running after their top form even after the mixed Olympic Games. In the individual race over 20 kilometers in Kontiolathi, Finland, Philipp Nawrath took fifth place as the best German and was therefore the only bright spot in the otherwise disappointing DSV team.
His teammates fell far behind and ended up outside the top 25. Victory was secured by the flawless Frenchman Eric Perrot, who won the small crystal ball for the discipline ranking and extended his lead in the overall World Cup. The Norwegian Sturla Holm Laegreid took second place (+29.9 seconds), while his compatriot Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen secured third place (+47.9 seconds). After two shooting errors, Nawrath was 2:19 minutes behind winner Perrot.
“Annoying that the last shot went wrong. But I had really strong skis and that was really cool,” said Nawrath on ZDF.
Lucas Fratzscher took 26th place after three errors at the shooting range, Leonhard Pfund (also three errors) was 29th. Philipp Horn (4 errors) crossed the finish line in 32nd, just ahead of David Zobel (2), who was 35th. Justus Strelow was missing due to a broken finger. He hopes to be there again at the season finale in Oslo.
The German men have been waiting for a World Cup victory for over two years. In January 2024, Benedikt Doll achieved his last success to date in Oberhof. On Saturday we continue with the women’s mass start (1.40 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport) and the men’s relay (3.40 p.m.).
