Zhangjiakou (dpa) – Although Denise Herrmann has never been to Zhangjiakou before, the Saxon will seem very familiar.
When the biathlete straps on her training skis for the first time in China on Wednesday, she will finally actually run the routes that she previously only got to know virtually thanks to 3D glasses.
“It’s extreme what is now possible with technology,” said the former world champion: “It’s super cool for us that you can see the route profile – and not just in a picture.”
DSV films the Olympic routes in advance
How it works? At the end of last year, a delegation of ski technicians from the German Ski Association traveled the Olympic routes in Beijing, filmed them and collected lots of video material. This was then played on 3D glasses and made available to the athletes. This became necessary because the Olympic test competitions for biathletes, cross-country skiers, Nordic combined athletes and ski jumpers were canceled in 2021 due to the corona pandemic. None of the athletes had seen the new facilities themselves before arriving. So only technology helped.
“I’ve even jumped off the hill with these goggles,” said Herrmann, who of course concentrated on the trails around the Skijäger stadium. “You then got a little preview,” said the 32-year-old: “You can even look a little to the left and right into the distance what the landscape is like.”
Of course, this tool only serves to get a first feeling. And while the biathletes only planned three days to prepare, the German cross-country skiers arrived last weekend. “The routes in Beijing are tough, you know that. You have to prepare very well,” said cross-country skier Jonas Dobler: “You can only really look at it when you’re running. Watching it for a week is enough.”
Treadmills with route profiles
As a further option, the Nordic skiers use special treadmills on which the route profile is programmed. This also helps to get a feel for the difficulty of the trails. “We’ve already walked the route profile on the treadmill in Oberhof,” said Herrmann: “But seeing what the route looks like with the glasses almost got us more.” Not everyone makes use of it. “I will not take the glasses to heart,” said biathlete Benedikt Doll, who does not need more than the planned three days of preparation: “That’s enough for me.”
While the toboggan and bobsled stars have been able to get to know the Yanqing ice track for themselves over the past few months, the alpine skiers are more relaxed about their ignorance of the slopes. So far, the men were only allowed to drive on the training course. The real Olympic downhill run starts on Thursday during the first official training session, with two more sessions to follow. However, they also received pictures and videos, which of course could not yet contain the later course setting when it comes to gold on Sunday.
“You shouldn’t drive yourself crazy,” said Romed Baumann and warned against too much activism. With three training sessions, you “build up a really good feeling,” said the 36-year-old. For them it is part of the job anyway to always adapt to new conditions. “Not just skiing fast, but also learning to run. It’s often more complicated in slalom than in downhill,” said Baumann.
And the special preparation also had its disadvantages. Biathlete Johannes Kühn complained about slight nausea after his virtual ride. “And I was also slightly dizzy,” said Herrmann. You really noticed how “your body wants to participate” when you drive into a depression, “although you’re standing on solid ground”.