DSV men reach podium
Biathlon relay ends with a thrilling finish sprint
Updated on January 15, 2026 – 4:06 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The relay race in Ruhpoding offered excitement right up to the finish sprint. The German team fought for victory for a long time – and in the end was happy about their first podium place of the season.
In the last relay race before the Olympic Games, the German biathletes were rewarded with a strong performance in Ruhpolding. Justus Strelow, Danilo Riethmüller, David Zobel and Philipp Nawrath finished third with only five spares.
It was the first podium finish of the winter for the DSV team over 4 x 7.5 kilometers. In the three relay races of the season so far there had been two fifth and one fourth place finishes.
Strelow opened the race with a flawless standing shooting and only one spare shot prone. He handed over within striking distance of the leader. Riethmüller also put Germany in the lead with just one recumbent prone shot, safe standing shooting and strong running performance. Zobel also remained on course for the podium with the same shooting record. Nawrath kept the German team in the fight for victory for a long time, but in the end they were 7.9 seconds short of first place after a spare shot while standing.
“It was an incredible team effort. All the boys did an incredibly great job, I had a great starting position. Only the other two were a bit stronger,” said Nawrath.
The German quartet – then with Johannes Kühn instead of Zobel – had already taken third place in the same place the previous year. This time only France (1 penalty, 4 spares) and Norway (0 penalties, 7 spares/+6.2 seconds) were faster. Sweden (0+7), previously on the podium in every relay this season, came fourth.
There are still two individual races for men at the home World Cup: the sprint on Saturday (2:30 p.m.) and the pursuit on Sunday (3:00 p.m.). The women start the sprint on Friday (2:30 p.m.). Franziska Preuß, who received a penalty in the relay, wants to show her better side again. The hunting race for them follows on Sunday (12.30 p.m.). Next week the biathlon entourage will move on to Nove Mesto (January 22nd to 25th).