Benedikt Doll was not used by the coaches in the opening race of the Biathlon World Cup. In his flagship discipline, the sprint, he is now one of the favorites to win a medal. For the 33-year-old, the World Cup will probably be the last of his career.
Benedikt Doll wears an FFP2 mask for the press conference in the Nove Mesto arena. This has nothing to do with the Black Forest native’s current health, he is doing well and feels fit. As has been the case throughout the current season, it is purely a precautionary measure.
In public areas, all DSV athletes and employees wear a mask to avoid infections and illnesses as best as possible. And yet Doll got it while preparing for the World Championships – but it wasn’t all that bad. The cold “was gone again after five or six days” and now everything should be fine for the men’s sprint on Saturday.
Two sprint victories this season give hope
For the 2017 Hochfilzen sprint world champion, the title fights in Nove Mesto will be very special – as he explained in various interviews, they will be his last. “It feels like always: I’m already very tense,” reports Doll. “I’m not saying, ‘Well, that’s where it’s going now’ just because I’ve already done it 1,000 times. I still want to do a perfect race.”
Of course, Benedikt Doll hasn’t done this 1,000 times at world games, but with seven World Cup participations, he is the most experienced athlete in the German men’s team. In what was probably his last winter as an active professional athlete, the two-time Olympic bronze medalist from Pyeongchang showed once again what he was made of. He has secured two sprint victories and is eighth in the overall World Cup, making him the best German.
“I expect him to do a very good sprint”predicts sports show expert Arnd Peiffer. “He has a hit performance of 90 percent in the sprint over the season. In other disciplines it is only around 75, 70 or even just 67 percent in the relay.”
Safety at the shooting range is back
In fact, things haven’t been going well for Benedikt Doll at the shooting range recently. He had “lost his lightness”. In the five individual races before the World Cup he missed a total of 19 times. After detailed analysis with national coach Uros Velepec, but also with home coach Roman Böttcher, the cause seems to have been found.
“My shooting wasn’t so clean anymore. The basic elements didn’t fit anymore,” sums up Doll. “I then trained with the laser, which allows you to easily determine the course of the shot. There were technical errors. But now things are going quite well again.” That means it’s on time for the World Cup “a certain security” back at the shooting range.
Benedikt Doll looks excited and makes a very calm impression. After the two-week break from competition, he repeatedly emphasized his desire to compete. “I’m hoping that we can do pretty well in the sprint as a men’s team.“And thus break the dominance of the Norwegians.
Goal: A medal for Germany, no matter who
The final decision as to whether Benedikt Doll will end his career will be made after the World Cup in Nove Mesto – but the signs clearly point to farewell. “First and foremost, you go into your last World Cup with joy”, says Olympic champion Arnd Peiffer, speaking from his own experience. He ended his career in 2021. “If you realize that it’s the last time, then you’re more able to enjoy it. Because you’re in the here and now and don’t immediately think about the next one and the one after that.”
Whether it will be a successful last dance in the Czech forest remains to be seen. Benedikt Doll formulates his goals in a familiar manner – as an absolute team player. “I would like to be at an award ceremony again. Whether it’s me being honored or someone else from the team isn’t that important,” said the seven-time World Cup winner. “It would be nice if the German anthem played too, I’d be up for it again.” It would be a golden farewell to the Biathlon World Cup stage for one of the best German biathletes of recent years.