Things are going again – with a new circuit: Four days after Christmas Eve, the Biathlon World Team Challenge will take place for the 22nd time in Schalke.
On December 28th, top biathletes will compete in the show competition in the Ruhr area, this time a new route will provide even more excitement. Since 2002, the event has thrilled tens of thousands of spectators on site in Gelsenkirchen and millions in front of their televisions. The most important questions and answers about the event.
Who is at the start?
Ten international mixed teams were invited to the show competition, including two German duos. The international pairings include Team France with Fabien Claude and Lou Jeanmonnot as well as defending champion Norway, which does not have the best line-up with Juni Arnekleiv and Mats Øverby.
The Finnish duo Suvi Minkkinen and Tero Seppälä are also highly rated. The field is completed by teams from Belgium, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.
Who are the German starters?
For Germany, Janina Hettich-Walz and Justus Strelow as well as Marlene Fichtner and Danilo Riethmüller want the first German victory in nine years. Hettich-Walz starts at Schalke for the second time after her maternity leave.
Her partner Strelow is considered a top shooter and came second last year when the Norwegians won with Anna Weidel. Fichtner is celebrating her debut, Riethmüller has already taken part twice in the supporting program at Schalke’s junior races.
What is the schedule?
The area around the arena opens at 12 p.m., admission to the stadium is from 2:30 p.m. Then the junior races started. For the professionals, the starting order for the mass start will be determined from around 5:30 p.m. with the shoot out at the shooting range, which begins at 6:15 p.m. Afterwards the pursuit begins at 7:05 p.m. with the deficit from the first race halved. Teams 45 seconds or more behind start together.
How do the races work?
The race is a 1.4 kilometer long circuit that runs through the stadium and outside the arena, with climbs, descents and a 180-degree turn. The women complete the route four times, the men run five laps. Shooting takes place every time you drive through the stadium, alternating between lying and standing. For every shooting error there is a 75 meter long penalty loop in the arena; there are no spares.
Who broadcasts the races on television?
In addition to the around 40,000 spectators expected in the arena, all biathlon fans at home can also watch the mass start and the pursuit race live on television. ARD shows the mass start from 5:50 p.m. and the pursuit from 7:05 p.m. Eurosport will broadcast live from the arena from 6:45 p.m.
What’s new this year?
For the first time in ten years, FC Schalke 04 and the German Ski Association (DSV) have revised the route and extended the circuit to 1.4 kilometers. According to the organizers, the new trail design should offer even more excitement, spectacular overtaking maneuvers and fresh TV perspectives.
Where does the snow come from?
The snow required for the route comes from the ski hall in Neuss, around 80 kilometers away. Around 3,000 cubic meters of snow, which according to the organizer consists exclusively of water without chemical additives, will be produced there and transported to the arena. In previous years, some of the snow went to Oberhof in Thuringia after the event to make the Biathlon World Cup possible there.