Biathlete Denise Herrmann-Wick leads the German World Cup sprint team in Oberhof. In the fight for the fifth ticket, the last-minute nominee prevails.
Denise Herrmann-Wick, Vanessa Voigt, Janina Hettich-Walz, Sophia Schneider and Hanna Kebinger are going into the first individual race at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof on Friday. The quintet was nominated for the sprint over 7.5 kilometers.
Individual Olympic champion Herrmann-Wick is one of the top favorites for a medal. The 34-year-old won a sprint in December in Hochfilzen this season and the pursuit at the World Cup dress rehearsal in Antholz at the end of January. It was the only victories in the World Cup for the German team so far.
Kebinger and Schneider before World Cup debut
For Herrmann-Wick and Voigt (25), after the mixed relay (6th place), it is the second time they have played at the World Championships at home. Schneider and Kebinger (both 25) experience their World Cup premiere. Kebinger was only nominated shortly before the start of the World Cup and replaced Franziska Preuss, who had to end the season.
Hettich-Walz (26) won silver in the relay at the last World Cup in 2021 in Pokljuka. This means that Anna Weidel, who was recently injured, is the only German starter who has to wait for her World Cup debut for the time being.
Rule change takes effect in the German team
Due to a rule change by the world association IBU, five instead of four starting places per association are now possible. This applies to the nations that have athletes in the top 15 of the overall World Cup. If you provide the defending champions in the sprint, individual and mass start, a maximum of six starting places are possible.
Pursuit World Champion with the right to start
The reigning pursuit world champions also have a personal starting right for the men and women for the sprint, but the upper limit of a maximum of six starting places also applies here.