The German biathlon men had imagined their first World Cup week very differently. The new restart for the second half of the competitions is overshadowed by a bitter failure that will disappear hopes for a medal.
Musters are hardly available from the German perspective before the single over 20 kilometers at the Biathlon World Championship (Wednesday from 3:05 p.m./ARD and Eurosport). Also because the best DSV ski hunter has to take a break in Philipp Nawrath.
The team has to “reorganize now,” said sports director Felix Bitterling: “The races all start again at zero.”
Fortunately, because: 29 shooting errors in the first two competitions caused long faces in the German camp, so there was no way of thinking about medals.
But the belief in the turnaround lives. “Under no circumstances do we give up the second week before it started,” said Bitterling: “We have to collect ourselves in order to play a good role in the outstanding competitions. We have proven that in the past. “
Riethmüller complains: “shitty from front to back”
First of all, the problem children in the team first have to find their way back to their shape.
Danilo Riethmüller, who won the best German season result with second place in the mass start of Annecy, has not yet arrived at his first World Cup.
After 40th place in the sprint with three shooting errors, the pursuer took ten more places in the pursuer with eight penalty rounds. “Shitters from front to back,” the 25-year-old motted: “A race for the cat.”
It fits into the image of a DSV quartet that seems to have lost the connection to the world tip. Of the previous three major events, the men only have a bronze medal from Benedikt Doll, a real podium hope has been missing since its resignation.
Riethmüller and Co. would have to develop “another mindset at the shooting range”, Bitterling demanded. Otherwise, the current medal destination “difficult” will also be reached.