The hopes rested entirely on her: After it became known that Victoria Carl would also miss the Winter Olympics due to her positive doping test and the ongoing suspension, Katharina Hennig Dotzler is now the figurehead of the German cross-country skiing team.
It’s not an easy summer for the cross-country skiing team led by national coach Peter Schlickenrider. Victoria Carl’s positive doping test overshadowed everything. And yet the DSV team showed a strong performance over 10 km at the start of the World Cup in Ruka.
Hennig Dotzler best German
Hennig Dotzler, Pia Fink and Katherine Sauerbrey took places 12th to 14th. This means they have already met half of the qualification standard for the Olympic Games. In order to fully qualify, the cross-country skiers have to finish in the top 15 twice.
Hennig Dotzler’s performance is particularly remarkable. The 29-year-old recently had to struggle with a long-term illness. She wanted to take advantage of the World Cup in Ruka,”to even get back into competition shape“, she said before the season opener in Finland.
Strong performance from Hennig Dotzler
She impressively showed in Ruka that she is in competitive shape. Of course it wasn’t the usual top placement. But to be so close to Olympic qualification at the start is impressive.
Her goal was “to qualify for the Olympic Games during December and January“. Because she has a title to defend at the games. In 2022 she won gold in the team sprint together with Victoria Carl, and she took silver in the relay with Carl, Krehl and Sauerbrey.
The next race continues on Sunday. Hennig Dotzler is also competing over 20 km. She has shown that she can handle the pressure.