What a crazy relay race: The German team was already hopelessly behind and in the end celebrated a place on the podium in Östersund.
Roman Rees, Johannes Kühn, Philipp Nawrath and Benedikt Doll went through an emotional roller coaster ride at the last relay race of the year on Saturday (03/11/2023) and were still able to celebrate third place in the end. After Kühn’s penalty loop and a total of ten spare rounds, this seemed impossible at times.
Norway’s B team secured the win. The outstanding team of the season won even without high-flyers Johannes Thingnes Bö, Tarjei Bö and Sturla Holm Laegreid in 1:09:12.4 hours (7 spare rounds) clearly ahead of France (+ 22.5 seconds / 1 penalty loop, 8 spare rounds).
Starting runner Rees faultless
The German team was nominally the strongest. And that was at least the starting runner Roman Rees. In the individual as fifth only the third best German, he delivered impressively on the shooting range and hit the targets without reloading. Rees shot calmly, took his time, and after the shooting, went back on the track in fifth. On the final lap, Rees, together with Norway and the Czech Republic, made the first change in the lead trio.
Kühn has to go into the penalty loop
Now it was up to Johannes Kühn to defend the good position in the duel between the 22 nations. Because the pace at the top was not very high, seven nations came to the first shooting test at the same time – Kühn was the last to leave the shooting range in this group. Just like Denise Herrmann-Wick in the women’s relay, he used three spares, but averted the penalty loop (initially).
In the second shooting test, Kühn fluttered again and this time the eight cartridges weren’t enough for the five targets. The Bavarian had to go into the penalty loop and the DSV quartet fell back to twelfth place. “The penalty loop also hurts to watch, but the race is not over yet”said Rees on ZDF, who was still flirting with third place.
Nawrath pushes the DSV quartet forward
But Philipp Nawrath had to catch a great day because Kühn had given him a mortgage of 1:02.4 minutes. However, bronze was “only” 30 seconds away. Nawrath – in the individual with the fastest time on the way – started to catch up and washed Germany back towards the podium with a flawless first series. The deficit was halved and Nawrath was far from finished.
The 30-year-old blasted through the field and came to the second standing stage in sixth, 20 seconds behind leader Johannes Dale (Norway). There Nawrath began to tremble, used two spares and lost a place. 37 seconds behind France (1st place) and 30 seconds behind Norway (3rd place) were sporty and Nawrath no longer had the energy to catch up decisively.
Doll conquers the podium
Final runner Benedikt Doll was highly motivated a few days after his individual victory. With five hits in prone, the flagship runner moved up to fourth place. However, the gap to the podium was enormous (+ 36 seconds). But Doll is a fighter, someone who always believes in himself and in success.
Faith grew when he turned into the stadium and saw Peppe Femling of Sweden still standing at the shooting range. Although Doll needed two spare rounds, he went out at the same time as the Swede and gave the local hero no chance in the fight for third place. The protégés of national coach Mark Kirchner made it into the top three in all five relay races, but they didn’t finish fifth at the World Cup.
Mass start on Sunday without gusts
At the end of the World Cup weekend in Sweden, the mass start races are scheduled for Sunday. Even then, serial winner Johannes Thingnes Bö will not appear in the start list. He feels fit again after his corona infection, but will only start again at Holmenkollen, national team coach Egil Kristiansen told the Norwegian news agency NTB. Bö has already won 13 World Cup races this winter, plus three individual World Championship titles.