In addition to Herrmann, Stina Nilsson is also at the start
But that doesn’t mean anything: “I’m looking forward to inspecting the courses from a biathlon perspective and getting to know the shooting range better. I’ve heard that it can be relatively windy”, said Herrmann, who recently clinched a win and a third place at the races in Kontiolahti/Finland. And wind is not necessarily the friend of the sports changer.
It is from the sprint on Friday (2.30 p.m in the sports show live center) not the only one who already knows the route. The 2015 winner Stina Nilsson has also been running the trail with a gun since 2020 and is now returning, she too is in top form. A week ago she was third in Herrmann’s sprint victory in Kontiolahti.
Biathlon men already start on Thursday
In southern Estonia, the men’s sprint begins on Thursday (2:30 p.m in the sports show live center) the penultimate World Cup of the season. Erik Lesser, Benedikt Doll, Johannes Kühn, Philipp Nawrath, Roman Rees and David Zobel start.
There, too, someone has already made acquaintance with the routes: “I was already on the tracks in Otepää in 2010 as part of the European Championships, which I have fond memories of, but things have changed a bit since then. The shooting range is a little windy, but manageable”said Lesser, who will retire at the end of the season.
Less goes – Herrmann leaves the end of his career open
“I can easily ignore thoughts of the end of my career during competitions and concentrate fully on my work. But I was able to enjoy the pursuer in Kontiolahti in a different way, and I will do the same in Otepää. I want the competitions to be decent and get focused across the stage”, says the 33-year-old. In the Kontiolahti pursuit race, he finished second after a strong race to catch up.
By the way, it is not yet clear whether Denise Herrmann, like Lesser who was born in 1988, will continue after the season. She will probably only make a decision at the end of the season or after the season.