Winter sports biathlon world championships
First there is great frustration, then they fall into each other’s arms
As of: 3:59 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Sophia Schneider brings the German relay team onto the podium as the final runner
What: REUTERS
The relay race at the Biathlon World Cup turns into a roller coaster ride for the German women. In the meantime the anger is great. In the end it was still enough to win a medal. The Norwegians are experiencing a debacle.
At the end, the four of them stand there, laughing full of joy into the photographers’ cameras, holding up the German flag and screaming. It was enough, the German women secured a place on the podium in the relay race at the World Championships. “We screamed so loudly that the whole stadium was probably frightened,” Vanessa Voigt later joked. Shortly after her use, she was still quite annoyed – obviously about the material on her feet.
At the finish line in Nove Mesto, the quartet celebrated bronze and the team’s third medal at this World Championships. And that despite the material problems and despite the short-term absence of the ill final runner Franziska Preuß. Janina Hettich-Walz, World Cup debutant Selina Grotian, Voigt and the late nominee Sophia Schneider took part.
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“I have no words for it, the race had everything from highs to lows,” said Voigt afterwards. “Especially during my race I thought: ‘What’s going on here? I lose so much time on the lap.’ I had to fight a lot and was really upset at the finish because I felt like I had the race of my life, but it just didn’t work out.” Not the first time that material problems have come into focus at this World Championships.
Bronze quartet: Janina Hettich, Sophia Schneider, Selina Grotian and Vanessa Voigt
Source: AFP/JOE KLAMAR
Voigt continued: “Hats off to Sophia for putting in the last shot like that. We really deserved it.” Because with the last shot, the bronze medal was within reach – Schneider’s teammates fell into each other’s arms with relief at the finish. In total, the DSV quartet used nine spare rounds and only had to admit defeat to France and Sweden. At the finish the gap was 1:14.2 minutes.
Schneider only found out about her mission in the morning
Two and a half hours before the start of the race, the German Ski Association informed about Preuß’ failure. It is still unclear whether the 29-year-old, who is suffering from a “new sore throat”, will be able to compete in the mass start on Sunday (2.15 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport). “Losing Franzi always hurts us. Everyone knows the value and knows how good she can be,” said sports director Felix Bitterling before the start of the race on ZDF.
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Schneider stepped in and led the team from fifth to third place, although individual runner-up Hettich-Walz in particular had problems on the cross-country ski trail. “For me it was a combination of everything,” said the starting runner. “There were places where it was mushy. I really struggled with my skis and then I didn’t have the best day either. I have no words right now.” The DSV quartet also benefited from the competition’s mistakes at the shooting range when catching up.
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The race was extremely bitter for the Norwegians, who only finished tenth in the end. And he was 3:42.8 behind and had five penalties.