The 2023/24 biathlon season begins next weekend. On the German side, Denise Herrmann-Wick, the most successful athlete of recent years, is missing. The 34-year-old has a lot of confidence in her successors, but she sees the other teams as the big favorites.
What’s in store for the German biathlon team in the 2023/24 season? If Denise Herrmann-Wick has her way, some surprise successes cannot be ruled out.
“Last season, Hanna Kebinger, Sophia Schneider and Vanessa Voigt took off. They each have their strengths, one is a little better at running, the other at shooting. If both come together, there are certainly great individual placements,” said she Herrmann-Wick resigned in an interview with the portal “web.de”.
The Olympic champion has high hopes, especially in the relay races. She is really counting on the DSV team there because “the team spirit is really good,” said Herrmann-Wick.
Will the next biathlon season be “Norwegian” again?
The 34-year-old has two runners on the list in the German men’s team. “If Benedikt Doll, who is incredibly strong in terms of fitness, finds his flow again when shooting, then he can consistently be at the forefront. Johannes Kühn can do the same if he shows consistent performance in shooting,” said Herrmann-Wick.
But what the “biathlon pensioner” also knows: The big favorites are once again competing for other nations this winter.
“I hope for a lot of excitement, but it could also be very Norwegian again, which I hope not. But the main competitors for [Johannes Thingnes] Bø tend to come from within their own ranks,” she said, referring to the Norwegian men’s team, which dominated at will last winter.
These are Herrmann-Wick’s favorites in the Women’s World Cup
In the Women’s World Cup, however, there are “three or four names that certainly have to be at the top of the list.” According to Herrmann-Wick, this includes the Italian double leadership consisting of Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer. But the Swedes around the Öberg sisters are also among the “top contenders” in her eyes.
“I also believe in a strong team from France, as long as the credit card scandal surrounding Julia Simon can be ignored. But they also have a very good coach who will certainly prepare them well in terms of sport,” Herrmann-Wick can and wants to cannot rule out a French triumph.