Magdalena Neuner, former German biathlete, is happy about Denise Herrmann’s Olympic gold. Photo: Daniel Karmann/dpa. (Source: dpa)
Berlin (AP) – Ex-biathlon star Magdalena Neuner almost missed Denise Herrmann’s Olympic gold triumph.
“I did laundry this morning. And that’s when it occurred to me: Oops, today is biathlon. Then I switched it on to my cell phone. The race was already in full swing,” said the two-time Olympic champion in an interview with “Münchner Merkur”. and “tz”.
The record world champion could hardly believe that Herrmann was on course for a medal in the difficult individual. “Like most, I didn’t expect much from the singles. But then so much happened, it was really exciting and emotional,” said the 34-year-old.
She is extremely happy for the Saxon, who had previously won the second Olympic gold for the German team in Beijing with just one mistake over the 15 kilometers. “You saw the pictures of how Denise cried after the first interviews. All her dams broke there – and I also shed a tear,” said the mother of three.
“There are probably few people who can understand it as well as it is when you become an Olympic champion. That’s when the memories and feelings came up in me too. To be able to say you’re an Olympic champion, that’s something great. “
Herrmann’s success could be an initial spark. “Such a sense of achievement is sure to give you a boost. If it continues to work so well, then I’m sure that our women will still have really good competitions,” said Neuner.