Biathlon men frustrated
“The distances are huge”
24.02.2025 – 07:32 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
At the biathlon World Cup, it was only enough for the German gentlemen for a medal in the season. The frustration is great – and the worries with a view of the Olympics too.
The German biathlon men look at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The achievements at the World Cup in Lenzerheide revealed significant deficits. “The distances are huge, and that’s nothing that can satisfy me as a responsible person,” said sports director Felix Bitterling after the end of the competitions. “We have to work on that, we have to analyze that. And we have to get it under control – especially with the few time until the Olympics.” In less than a year, the winter games start with biathlon competitions in Antholz in Italy.
As already in 2023 in Oberhof, the German men stayed in Switzerland without a medal in the four individual races. The only placement in the top ten secured Philipp Horn as a seventh in singles. Success succeeded in the season with bronze – the first medal in this discipline in five years. But from an analytical point of view, this result shows the current balance of power in international biathlon.
“The Norwegians can no longer be seen with the binoculars, the French also have a huge distance and we were the best in class three,” said Bitterling. Norway won safely in the season, France also ran in second place without pressure. Behind it fought a group for the bronze medal-with Germany as the winner of this duel, but over a minute and a half behind the top nations.
Despite the relay medal, the overall balance of the World Cup is sobering. “We have more potential there, but we just don’t bring it onto the street. It has been going through like a thread for some time,” analyzed bitterling. In the sprint, an out -of -two performance was shown, especially in the sprint. Individual good results are available, but weak shooting performance cost better placements throughout the winter – a problem that continued in Lenzerheide.