Former world champion Erik Lesser has made a surprising biathlon comeback.
Although the 34-year-old resigned after the end of the season in March, he ran on roller skis at the start of the German biathlon championships on his home tracks in Oberhof in the shortened individual – but after months without training he had no chance as the defending champion. His successor was his friend Philipp Horn, who also lived in Oberhof.
“Of course I’m not in shape. My shooting time wasn’t that bad, but I’m not in good shape,” said Lesser, who had prepared for just half an hour on Friday before the race. It’s a unique return for him, because on Saturday he’ll be back in a mountain bike race.
His motivation for starting: “We don’t have any popular sport in biathlon. Biathlon is a really cool sport that can also be practiced by former athletes. It was just about having fun and maybe opening the door to former athletes.”
Biathlon: Schneider secures the title
In the Oberhof World Cup arena, Sophia Schneider secured the women’s title in the absence of the elite around Olympic champion and last year’s champion Denise Herrmann.
The A-Team doesn’t start competing until the weekend, when the sprints and pursuits are on the agenda. Franziska Preuß, who is currently training after health problems in preparation, is not there as planned.