The German season of the juniors won the silver medal at the biathlon World Cup in Östersund. The quartet with Charlotte Gallbronner, Lea Zimmermann, Alma Siegismund and Lotta de Buhr had to let the highly superior French women go ahead in difficult wind conditions. Bronze went to Norway.
Start runner Charlotte Gallbronner started strong and remained flawless when it was shooting, it was not so good when it comes to standing shooting. Gallbronner had to go to the penalty round and lost some places. During the first change, she was half a minute behind the leading and favorite French women. Gallbronner handed over to Lea Zimmermann in fifth place.
“It is quite windy all day long, gusts come in, which is of course difficult”, said Gallbronner about the changing winds at the shooting range.
Zimmermann lost further time on France, after her two shooting deposits it was already a minute. Norway and Finland ran in front of her. Zimmermann fought a duel for fourth place with the season from Ukraine.
Excitement behind the French
During the second change, the Germans were able to hope for a medal again. The French ran at the very front, but the four seasons behind it were only within a good ten seconds.
Alma Siegismund quickly ran in third place behind the Norwegians – however, the distances after several wobbly at the shooting range were greater again. Ukraine and Finland fell significantly. Germany and Norway have now fought a very tight duel around the silver square. Almost at the same time as the Norwegians, Siegismund handed over to the final runner Lotta de Buhr.
“Legs trembled”
“I know I’m very susceptible to wind. I noticed that my legs trembled. I had a bomb ski for that, running was really great”said Siegismund after her race.
And de Buhr started hard, quickly she was 15 seconds ahead of Norway. However, she lost it again with two misconceptions and got it back. After the last exciting shooting, Germany was nine seconds ahead of Norway – and the German season brought this tight lead.
“It was a hard fight at the end“, said de Buhr afterwards:”But I knew I had the Norwegian under control“. Expert Vanessa Voigt also paid tribute to the final runner in the Sportschau-Stream: “I was impressed by how Lotta did it at the end. “