On Friday, the women’s sprint (2:30 p.m.) is the first individual competition of the 2023 Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof. A look at the list of stars reveals: The first real scent marks are likely to be set early.
The fast Finn Mari Eder opens the sprint competition with start number one. With fifth place in Anncey, the 35-year-old indicated that she could play a role over the 7.5 kilometers with two shooting bouts. In order to have a chance, however, the zero must be there. A feat that Eder has not yet succeeded in this winter.
If number two on the start list finishes without a single mistake, she simply cannot be beat! Anamarija Lampic only recently switched from cross-country skiing to ski hunters and since then has been setting fabulous time after fabulous time on the cross-country ski run. Despite three penalties, she finished fifth in the sprint from Hochfilzen, and repeated this result in Antholz with two tickets. The difficult route on the Rennsteig should suit the Slovenian, but the percentage of lateral entrants standing is still less than 50 percent.
The first world champion starts in third position: Marketa Davidova from the Czech Republic won individual gold in 2021. Also in the sprint, the eighth-placed in the current World Cup ranking can be trusted. However, the absolute top favorites start a little later.
Last favorites with the 50 and 54
Elvira Öberg from Sweden with start number eight should be the first extremely hot medal contender to go on the course, followed by the overall World Cup leader Julia Simon from France with the eleven, Italy’s biathlon queen Dorothea Wierer starts 13th, her compatriot Lisa Vittozzi two minutes later with the 17.
The first German-speaking co-favorite is the Austrian Lisa Theresa Hauser with start number 20, DSV hopeful Denise Herrmann-Wick was drawn with the 24th. The 34-year-old already indicated with a good performance in the mixed relay that she is to be expected.
Hanna Öberg (Sweden/start number: 28) and Marte Olsbu Röiseland close the circle of the absolute top athletes. The twelve-time world champion from Norway starts from 30th place and has every chance to roll up the field from behind.
Only Sweden’s Linn Persson with start number 50 and Chloe Chevalier from France (start number 54) can be expected to surprise at the back of the field. Both have already landed on the podium this season.
The starting numbers and times of the favorites and the DSV biathletes
1. Mari Eder (Finland) – 14:30:30
2. Anamarija Lampic (Slovenia) – 14:31:00
3. Marketa Davidova (Czech Republic) – 14:31:30
8. Elvira Öberg (Sweden) – 14:34:00
9. Janina Hettich-Walz (Germany) – 14:34:30
11. Julia Simon (France) – 14:35:30
13. Dorothea Wierer (Italy) – 2:36:30 p.m
17. Lisa Vittozzi (Italy) – 14:38:30
20. Lisa Hauser (Austria) – 14:40:00
24. Denise Herrmann-Wick (Germany) – 14:42:00
26. Vanessa Voigt (Germany) – 14:43:00
28. Hanna Öberg (Sweden) – 14:44:00
30. Marte Olsbu Röiseland (Norway) – 14:45:00
31. Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (Norway) – 14:45:30
34. Sophia Schneider (Germany) – 14:47:00
50. Linn Persson (Sweden) – 14:55:00
54. Chloe Chevalier (France) – 14:57:00
74. Hanna Kebinger (Germany) – 15:07:00