Vanessa Voigt and Justus Strelow win a single mixed relay for Germany for the first time ever. About fast shooters, World Cup candidates and a nine-year-old curse.
She couldn’t start running because the steward’s arms held Vanessa Voigt as the black, red and gold phantom approached the finish line. Justus Strelow grabbed a Germany flag from the fans and cheered on the stands while the material covered his face due to a gust of wind.
“Just run to the finish line with the flag – crazy, that doesn’t happen that often. I think I’ll have to watch it again on TV later to realize it”said a happy Justus Strelow after Vanessa Voigt hugged him at the finish. It was the first World Cup victory for both biathletes, at the perfect time, just before the World Championships – on the top podium in the single mixed relay.
“This is incomprehensible. I have no idea how this could have happened”
Vanessa Voigt also couldn’t stop beaming: “It’s incomprehensible. I have no idea how it happened, but we really showed that this curse has finally been defeated on these mixed relays.” Because this supposed curse has been on the German team for a long time, never before has a German duo been able to win this competition in the World Cup, which has been part of the racing calendar for almost nine years.
It was an emotional day, which culminated at the award ceremony, when the stadium announcer repeatedly shouted “Team” into the arena and a loud “Germany” thundered back from the stands, transitioning into “A day as beautiful as today.” didn’t want to end anymore.
In tears for the winning photo for the gallery
They all came, the trainers and supervisors, the waxers and teammates of the two premiere winners. Many people had shining eyes when the medals were handed out, and the relief was palpable across the Antholz stadium. One person in particular was fighting back tears, Kevin Voigt, Vanessa’s twin brother: “It’s super emotional, you don’t experience a day like that often.”
Kevin Voigt travels as a photographer with the biathlon entourage from World Cup to World Cup. He’s usually always behind the camera, but after the awards ceremony he and his twin sister grinned arm in arm into the lens. “Having a photo of myself is of course the best souvenir. I can frame a finished picture with my sister on a day like this.”said a proud Kevin Voigt.
Overnight to a textbook competition
It was a competition, almost textbook. Only Justus Strelow needed a single reloader to fire 40 shots. The 27-year-old was able to celebrate on the final lap. But to understand this triumph more clearly, you have to look back one day: In the women’s individual, Vanessa Voigt missed the podium in fourth place despite shooting cleanly and was struggling with her shooting time being too long.
“If I could choose, I would like to run the single mixed relay. I know that I can shoot very safely and quickly in training. For me it would be important to have a hectic competition like this where I can prove that.”, she explained in the finish area. On Friday evening there was a conversation with sports director Felix Bitterling, who strengthened her mentally again: “I told her again how much potential she has. We also wanted to test what might be possible at the World Cup and Vanessa wanted to take on this challenge.”
“We want to finally get rid of this curse and show what we can actually do in the mixed relays”, Bitterling also described it the day before. The German team has shone this season and has already been on the podium 13 times in individual races.
Strelow was set for the relay and the coaches gave Vanessa Voigt their trust. In the morning during the shooting, women’s national coach Kristian Mehringer explained to the Sportschau: “Be careful, we discussed with Vanessa Voigt that she can shoot quickly, and that’s what she’s going to do today.”
“I was just in the flow”
No sooner said than done: The 26-year-old impressed in the relay, appearing confident and self-assured. She improved the slow shooting times from the day before by an average of ten seconds on Saturday. “I consciously adjusted to the fact that I have to shoot quickly. “It went well when shooting and then it worked perfectly in the competition.”she said overjoyed after the competition.
Mister “Fast Shooter” Justus Strelow, who outdueled the top stars Emilien Jacquelin and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen in standing shooting by just under 19 seconds, stood proudly in front of the microphone: “I was in the flow then. I let myself breathe for three steps so that I could shoot with enough oxygen in my lungs and knew that I then had to stick to my rhythm. I’m really happy.”
An application for the World Cup
It was a pointer, an application for the single mixed relay at the World Championships in Nove Mesto at the beginning of February. “Well I hope so”said Vanessa Voigt with a broad grin and Justus Strelow added: “I think we have applied well for this now and I would of course be happy if I got the chance.”
This will be a completely new dance, because at the World Cup all teams will start with top players, including the Bös, Öbergs and Vitozzis of this biathlon world. Some were in the normal mixed relay in Antholz on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether the German fable duo from Antholz or a completely different combination can prevail again.
“We have a good time Confidence in the tank”
What remains of this World Cup weekend in any case: the supposed curse has finally been broken and sports director Felix Bitterling looked contentedly at the upcoming World Cup tasks: “We have good confidence in the tank, there’s no question about that. The single mixed is really not our flagship discipline, but this victory is a real statement.”