Biathlon head coach Uros Velepec asked the sports tour of the German Ski Association to give him to giving it from his tasks with immediate effect.
The association announced this in a press release. After trusting conversations, Velepec and the DSV sports tour had agreed on it, “To use the remaining three World Cup weeks to make the first necessary course with a view to the upcoming Olympic season.” Velepec is to succeed Tobias Reiter. The Chiemgauer was a discipline coach of German women from 2014 to 2018 and most recently responsible male coaches in the IBU Cup.
“No spontaneous decision”
“This is not a spontaneous decision and has something to do with our performance at the World Cup”said Velepec. “Even though we all had more to do in Lenzerheide. Overall, we are currently not at the level that we had set together as a goal. With enough time, we would certainly be able to get out of this currently difficult situation in which we are currently. But as head coach, I also see myself in the short and medium term. That is why I came to the conviction that a new impulse is now needed, perhaps also a new form of speech to be successful with a view to the 2026 Olympics. The sooner the better.”
At the biathlon World Cup in Lenzerheide there had been discussions about a decision by Velepec. He had not nominated Justus Strelow for the men’s relay and caused irritation with the step. Finally, Strelow had previously won two bronze medals.
When the men’s relay with Philipp Nawrath, Philipp Horn, Johannes Kühn and Danilo Riethmüller also won bronze, the success of Velepec seemed to be right. The break is all the more surprising.
More risk required when shooting
Velepec has been a national coach of men since 2023. The Slovenian was formerly a biathlete himself, took part in the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1994 and after his active career, looked after the national teams of Slovenia and Ukraine.
Velepec had introduced the concept of risk shooting for German men. A modern biathlete “Better with quick shooting, full risk and full attack”he said. However, this rarely met for the German men, they often noticed through many shooting errors-for example, for the World Cup general rehearsal in Antholz or at the start of the season in Contiolahti.
Reiter joins in Nove Mesto
Velepec then went hard with the German men: “The mileage was not at the highest level, compared to Norway and France we are not competitive. If shooting does not work, you have a problem.”
Felix Bitterling, sports director biathlon, said: “We have met Uros in recent years as a trainer who can win and inspire athletes. As a pleasant person and as a colleague with great ambitions. The fact that he chooses this step at the moment is of course unusual. But Uros has Uros In a long conversation, his motives are definitely important for the dynamics in the team. to free. “