Two years ago, Roman Rees still wore the yellow jersey of the World Cup leader. Now he is missing from the start of the Biathlon World Cup. Even a third-place finisher in the World Cup with this year’s relay team has to watch first.
World Cup winners Johannes Kühn and Roman Rees are missing from the German biathlon men’s team at the season opener in Östersund at the end of November. The German Ski Association (DSV) announced this on Monday (November 17th, 2025).
Fratzscher and Kaiser win elimination
A sextet was named for the first World Cup of the winter: In addition to the seeds Justus Strelow and Philipp Nawrath, Lucas Fratzscher, Simon Kaiser, Philipp Horn and Danilo Riethmüller grabbed the tickets. The decision on the men’s team composition was made after test competitions in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, last weekend. Fratzscher won one of the two sprints against international competition and came 19th in the second race, while Kaiser took third and fifth place. Fratzscher and Kaiser won the internal elimination.
Horn and Riethmüller were nominated by coach’s decision. Horn was second and 20th in Idre, Riethmüller was sixth twice.
Philipp Nawrath (left), Danilo Riethmüller (2nd from left) and Philipp Horn (right) are there in Östersund. , Johannes Kühn (2nd from right) is missing from the start.
Johannes Kühn: Third place is not enough
Kühn, on the other hand, was not taken into account despite a third place in the second Idre sprint on Sunday (November 16th, 2025). In the first sprint on Saturday (11/15/2025) he came 25th. Rees came 16th on Saturday and was 25th on Sunday. The 33-year-old Kühn celebrated his only World Cup victory to date in December 2021, and he also reached the podium four times in individual races – and most recently won bronze in the relay at the World Cup in Lenzerheide this year.
Roman Rees: 2023 World Cup leader
The 32-year-old Rees was on the podium three times in World Cups and even briefly wore the yellow jersey of the overall World Cup leader after a World Cup victory in the winter of 2023.
Women: The decision is made in Ruhpolding
For the women, the decision on the World Cup nomination will not be made until next weekend. The final qualifying race for the three remaining World Cup tickets will take place in Ruhpolding. Overall World Cup winner Franziska Preuß as well as Vanessa Voigt, Selina Grotian and Julia Tannheimer have already pre-qualified. Janina Hettich-Walz also has a good chance of being there in Östersund. The returnee after her pregnancy and baby break came second behind Elivra Öberg and ahead of Hanna Öberg in the sprint in Idre Fjäll on Sunday (November 16th, 2025).