After bronze in the mixed team, the German men want to achieve the next biathlon World Cup medal in the sprint. The hopes rest on the birthday child.
The biathlete Philipp Nawrath received the cake in his hand for his 32nd birthday on Thursday (February 13, 2025), three sparklers burned on it. And the team chef of the German biathletes, Christian Schlösser, could not refrain from a hint: “This is the gold cake with gold dust. That should inspire you.” Nawrath replied with a grin and similarly asleep as usual with the rifle at the shooting range: “Then I know what to do.”
The small scene, which the biathletes divided into Instagram, says two things about the German biathlon men before their first individual competition on Saturday afternoon, the sprint over ten kilometers: Yes, especially on Philipp Nawrath, hopes are currently eleventh, he is currently eleventh German in the overall World Cup. But for a long time the mood was no longer as good in Lenzerheide after the start of a World Cup. Third place after a dramatic final in the mixed relay should also also inspire.
For the first time since 2019 with a mixed medal
Since 2019, the German biathletes had had to wait for a medal in the mixed season that traditionally opened the World Cup competitions. Nawrath itself described the bronze medal one day before his birthday as “Nice brought gift”. It is “Awesome that we did it” and “For the team and my feeling incredibly important”.
Sports director Felix Bitterling felt similarly: “We knew that at some point this mixed relay curse will be banned. It is all the more beautiful that the World Cup is now succeeding. Can not start better.” Now go “With a different mindset” in the upcoming competitions. “We are brutal, precisely because we have not made it in recent years.”
Men’s team is still looking for the shape after a resignation
It certainly helps the German men’s team, which is actually weak this season. After the resignation of Benedikt Doll last spring, Nawrath is the leader, but behind him there is a lack of runners who achieve good results. No other athlete is among the top 15 in the world. Especially when shooting it was a problem, the Germans were often at the forefront.
This season Danilo Riethmüller ran in second place in the mass start in Annecy, Nawrath once finished third – at the beginning of the sprint in Contiolahti. In addition to the two, Justus Strelow, also third with the mixed relay, and Philipp Horn on Saturday. Johannes Kühn, who can intervene at the World Cup on Wednesday at the earliest on Wednesday, has to watch.
Johannes Thingnes Bö wants sole Record world champion become
The top favorites are Norwegians again this time. They were decisive again this season: Sturla Holm Lächreid leads the overall World Cup – ahead of Johannes Thingnes Bö. At his last major event with his 21st gold medal, he wants to rise to the sole record world champion. So far he shares the record with his compatriot Ole Einar Björndalen. This is followed by the two Frenchman Eric Perrot and Emilia Jacquelin, who won mixed gold.
It needs “Maybe a day when the very best like the Norwegians and the French have no great moment”Bitterling said meaningfully. “But there are these days at every World Cup. Our job is to be there on this day. So I go into it positively.”
Philipp Nawrath lies Lenzerheide
Perhaps the team will even meet that this time the expectations of women with the overall World Cup leading Franziska Preuss are higher. At Nawrath, hope not only gives his success at the start of the World Cup, but also that he was Lenzerheide: in the previous year he was already third in the sprint.
“Of course, a medal would be the absolute highlight – but in biathlon there is always a portion of luck”said Nawrath. Who was able to recover from his cold before the start of the World Cup: “I know what I can do, and if I put it on the track, good placements are possible.” And maybe Christian Schlösser’s “gold dust” cake from Christian Schlösser will also help. At least they did not leave anything untidy at the German Ski Association for the individual start in Lenzerheide.