Janina Hettich-Walz is currently the third best German in the Biathlon World Cup. On Thursday in front of 50,000 fans at Schalke, the 27-year-old will compete against the world elite and dream of her first individual podium and the Olympic Games.
The fact that Janina Hettich-Walz is at the start of the biathlon in Schalke (December 28, 2023, live on Erste from 5:50 p.m.) was rather unexpected for the biathlete. Since teammate Sophia Schneider is out due to injury, Hettich-Walz will go to the cross-country ski trail in Gelsenkirchen together with Roman Rees. “I’m looking forward to the chance to start in front of the crowd. Schalke is an absolute highlight”says Hettich-Walz, who finished fourth with Erik Lesser at the World Team Challenge two years ago. “Due to Corona, that was without spectators in Ruhpolding. I was very sad because I was looking forward to the Schalke experience.”
And something else was different back then: the biathlete started out as Janina Hettich. Even without a double name, the now 27-year-old celebrated her greatest sporting successes to date. Almost five years ago, Hettich-Walz made his debut in the Biathlon World Cup at the end of the 2019 season and slowly established himself as a permanent World Cup member in the following winters. In the 2020/2021 season she won her first World Cup victory in the women’s relay in Oberhof and achieved her best World Cup result to date with fifth place in the individual in Antholz. At the subsequent World Championships on Pokljuka she secured the silver medal in the women’s relay. “My greatest success so far”says Hettich-Walz today.
Beginnings on roller skis
Hettich-Walz, who was born in Schramberg in the central Black Forest, took her first steps into winter sports not on snow, but on asphalt. “When I was 10 years old, I wanted cross-country skis and since we had no snow that winter, I got roller skis.”says Hettich-Walz. “I still remember clearly that I fell three times in the first 100 meters. But then my ambition was awakened.”
It didn’t take long before little Janina wanted more. “Biathlon was always on our TV and I persuaded my parents to let me take me to Schönwald to train.”says Hettich-Walz, who grew up around 30 minutes from the biathlon base. “I think my parents thought I wouldn’t do it for long. I surprised them a bit by sticking with it.”
Rooted in the Black Forest
In order to combine training and school without having to travel long distances, she moved to the sports boarding school in Furtwangen at the age of 16, where she graduated from high school. The 27-year-old is now a sports soldier in the Bundeswehr. She is still loyal to her homeland and the Black Forest today. “I was already thinking about moving to Ruhpolding or Oberhof to train there, but I need to be at home to recharge my batteries.”says Hettich-Walz.
In the summer, in addition to the training camps with the team, she trains individually around a third of the time. She has built a house in her homeland with her husband Kai Walz, with whom she has been married since spring 2022 and has had the double name Hettich-Walz ever since. “I’m already very rooted here”she says. “My parents live two houses away and my grandparents on the same street, so for me it’s just this feeling of home that gives me a lot of energy for sport.“
Energy that she wants to use for her sporting future. In the 2022 Winter Olympics, Hettich-Walz missed qualifying for Beijing after mixed performances. “That was one of the biggest low points of my career. There were always ups and downs, but that was the first year in which I didn’t achieve my goals.”says the athlete from SC Schönwald looking back.
The 2026 Olympics as a dream and goal
But her Olympic dream lives on. “The Olympics are the greatest thing you can achieve and 2026 is my big goal”says Hettich-Walz, who is also looking at the 2025 World Cup in Switzerland. “Lenzerheide with the World Cup and the Olympics with races in Antholz are two places that I really like. The goal is definitely to be part of these highlights and win medals.”
In addition to athletic training, the biathlete also relies on mental training for her success. “The head factor is very important in biathlon. For me it’s all about letting go of negative results and processing them better and faster and having full focus on the targets when shooting.”says Hettich-Walz. In addition to competitive sports, she also completed a degree in business administration.
Not in the shadow of others
But for now the focus is on sport. This season, Hettich-Walz was able to qualify early for the World Championships in February in Nove Mesto with her results. Despite solid races and currently 16th place in the overall World Cup, her teammates have often outshone her with even better placements. “I don’t see myself in the shadow of others. But it’s somehow also logical that those who are the best always get the most attention and make it to the podium.”says Hettich-Walz.
But she is also aiming for her first individual podium this winter after five years in the World Cup. “My performances show me that I can run towards the podium and that is also my goal for the season.” At least if her mom has a saying, it could finally work out soon. “Every now and then my mom says the saying ‘The squirrel has a hard time feeding’. I actually don’t like it that much.”says Hettich-Walz. “But it also fits in with my sporting career. I never made huge leaps, but rather constantly improved a little bit, step by step.”