Despite the seven-hour time difference, the DSV team at the Olympics continues to live according to German time. That means going to bed late and then sleeping in. There are numerous tricks to make this work.
Going to bed late and then sleeping in really well – that sounds like an El Dorado for teenagers and night owls. Top athletes are not known for such a lifestyle. The German biathletes handle things a little differently during the Olympic Games in China.
Despite the seven-hour time difference to Germany, those responsible have decided to continue living according to German time. At least mostly.
What’s behind it: Many competitions were scheduled between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time. With a difference of seven hours, this corresponds to about morning and noon German time – exactly the period in which many races in the World Cup start. The bodies of top athletes are used to this rhythm. That’s why they shouldn’t even get used to things in China.
Now, after two weeks in China, the question arises: did it work?
“It’s not as extreme as many people in Germany imagine,” explains Vanessa Hinz when asked by t-online and adds with a laugh: “We stay awake until one or two o’clock and get up around eleven o’clock – well we won’t oversleep all day now.”
The German “time bubble” in China
Hinz’ colleague Denise Herrmann also reports that she got along “very well” with the German “time bubble” at the northernmost Olympic site in Zhangjiakou. She can also gain another positive aspect from the special sleeping times: “You can keep in touch with home even better this way.”
The DSV justified its decision not to adjust to the local time in China, among other things, that this was also practiced at the previous games in South Korea’s Pyeongchang. And with success – with a time difference of eight hours. In 2018, the Germans were the best team in biathlon with seven medals.
Four years later, things look a little different: before the last two competitions, the mass starts for men and women (from 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. in the live ticker of t-online), the DSV has one gold and one bronze – which is fourth place in the sport-internal medal table means.
The noisy snow clearing machine
However, this has nothing to do with the sleep-wake cycle, explains Philipp Nawrath, who just missed out on a medal with the DSV men’s relay three days ago.
Nevertheless, the German bubble has of course been “an issue” since arriving in China. In order to keep these in the best possible way, the DSV team uses daylight lamps and also blacks out the last crack in the windows through which light could enter the room.
Nawrath reveals that he now gets up around ten o’clock and has already tried to get used to the local times. “But I haven’t managed to do that yet.” One is often woken up early in the morning by snow clearing machines or disinfection troops in the corridors of the Olympic Village.
Early riser Lesser
Nawrath’s Zimmerbachbar Erik Lesser has no problems with that. He generally gets up very early and has now adapted to Chinese time. “But fortunately he’s very quiet and considers me,” explains Nawrath with a smile.
He generally gets seven to eight hours of sleep on a regular basis. Benedikt Doll confirms that. “I’m basically a late riser, so it’s not a problem for me to get up so late,” reports the 2017 sprint world champion.
Concern for the athlete: Start runner Irene Cadurisch suddenly collapsed on the track and had to be taken care of. (Source: Eurosport)
At 9 p.m. for dinner
However, it is sometimes something special when eating – because logically, if you get up later, you eat later. He sometimes only makes his way to the dining room after 9 p.m., reports Doll. It is then often only sparsely filled.
In just over a week everything will be back to normal for Doll, Herrmann, Hinz and Co. – because then the next World Cup will be held in Kontiolahti. In Finland it sometimes starts as early as 12.15 p.m. Getting up at noon is then no longer an option for the athletes.
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