The Biathlon World Cup is currently in Ruhpolding and is on a route that places very special demands on the ski hunters.
In her column for Nordic Magazine, former French biathlete Caroline Colombo explained in detail why the races on the Ruhpolding track are completely different than those on other tracks.
“The course is very, very fast. It is probably the fastest course in the entire World Cup. There are a lot of flat sections. You arrive at the shooting range on a downhill section and the gradients are quite short and very steep,” said the former biathlete, who announced the end of her career in February 2025.
Mistakes on the biathlon course in Ruhpolding “unforgivable”
According to Colombo, this route characteristic ensures that the gaps in the race are usually only small. This makes it all the more important to make up time at the shooting range or not to lose it.
“It rarely happens that someone wins the sprint without scoring ten goals,” she analyzed. Even in the trainer’s speeches before the race, it was repeatedly said that you had to shoot 10 out of 10 to have a chance. “Mistakes are unforgivable because the route doesn’t allow catching up.”
In addition, shooting has to be done quickly in Ruhpolding, says Colombo. “This is really modern biathlon, with fast and precise skiing and shooting,” explained the Frenchwoman.
According to Colombo, the atmosphere in the Chiemgau Arena is also very special. “The main stand is very close to the shooting range. You can feel the feedback from the fans, especially because the targets are right in front of a mountain. […] The grandstand in Ruhpolding is much higher and steeper than others. Everything is very, very impressive, close and close together,” the ex-biathlete enthused about the special atmosphere.