First on the cross-country ski trail, then as a TV expert: Denise Herrmann-Wick experienced a lot in the Biathlon World Cup together with Laura Dahlmeier. At the beginning of the first ZDF broadcast after her death, the 36-year-old emotionally remembered her friend, who died while climbing at the end of July.
“She has left deep traces, as in many other areas of life,” said Herrmann-Wick: “Of course the gap is particularly wide open here. But what she achieved and what she left behind remains for eternity. That’s why she is still with us in our hearts.”
After her career ended in 2019, Dahlmeier joined ZDF as a biathlon expert.
“Nobody thought that Laura would do something in the media after her career. I was always surprised at how motivated she was. And yet she always remained herself,” said Herrmann-Wick.
Dahlmeier initially worked as an expert alongside Sven Fischer, and from the 2024/25 season she shared television appearances with Herrmann-Wick. The broadcaster did not bring in a replacement for Dahlmeier in order to “do justice to her memory.”
Four-time Olympic champion Sven Fischer also found moving words for his late colleague: “Laura was our sunshine. The work won’t be as nice anymore.” The 54-year-old added: “She always motivated the team and us. And that should give us the courage to continue here too, true to her motto: ‘Don’t give a damn, then you won’t miss anything.'”
“One had the feeling that Germany was standing still”
Dahlmeier died on July 28th at the age of just 31 while climbing Laila Peak in Pakistan. The news shocked the entire sports world, and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also expressed his condolences.
Several rescue and recovery attempts had failed and the search for the body has now been called off.
A campaign by the German Ski Association underlined the importance of Dahlmeier for the sport of biathlon: In the future, the DSV will award the “Laura Dahlmeier Prize” in honor of the idol.
The International Biathlon Union (IBU) recently honored the two-time Olympic champion and seven-time world champion at the Loop-one Festival in Munich with a “minute of applause” and a video clip. “You had the feeling that Germany was standing still. That’s how you noticed how many people she touched,” emphasized Herrmann-Wick.