The World Cup entourage of biathletes has been circling Östersund, Sweden since last weekend, and the season of the second guard of ski hunters in the IBU Cup started in Kontiolahti on Thursday. The German athletes were definitely convincing.
Although the German biathletes missed the podium in the individual, the DSV representatives still performed more than solidly.
In the women’s category, Juliane Frühwirt (2 penalty minutes) came in fourth place, Johanna Puff (2 penalty minutes) was sixth, Emily Schumann (4 penalty minutes) was 16th, one place behind was Julia Tannheimer (5 penalty minutes).
The French Jeanne Richard (1 penalty minute) secured victory by a narrow margin ahead of the highly traded Norwegian Maren Kirkeeide (1 penalty minute/+1 second) and Karoline Erdal from Norway (1 penalty minute/+22.5 seconds).
The Norwegians even secured a triple victory in the men’s race over 20 kilometers. Johan Olav Botn won with one penalty minute and the fastest running time ahead of Mats Oeverby (1 penalty minute/+1:15.5 minutes) and Martin Nevland (1 penalty minute/+1:33.1 minutes).
German biathlon stars with fixed skis
Philipp Horn landed behind the trio (3 penalty minutes/#1:54.6 minutes). With two fewer shooting errors Horn would have taken the win, one fewer ticket would have been enough for second place.
With Danilo Riethmüller (1 penalty minute/+2:41.3 minutes) and Lucas Fratzscher (4 penalty minutes/+3:09.9 minutes) two more Germans ended up in the top 10.
However, the main reason for joy in the German camp is the view of the delivery times. Horn set the second fastest time, Fratzscher the third fastest time. Noticeable: Simon Kaiser, who had no chance at all due to seven penalty minutes, recorded the sixth fastest time in the snow and was also quick at the shooting range.
The DSV technicians seem to be coping very well with the ban on fluorine wax this winter so far. Especially since at the winter dress rehearsal in Sjusjoen the Norwegians around Botn and Oeverby were still very clearly distanced on the cross-country ski trail.