The personnel decision by biathlon national coach Mark Kirchner for the single-mixed relay is having an effect. Record world champion Ole Einar Björndalen thinks it’s wrong to spare stars and thus give away a medal at a home world championship.
Norway’s biathlon icon Ole Einar Björndalen has clearly criticized the World Cup line-up of the Germans in the single mixed relay. “It’s a home World Cup, there’s a gold medal to be won and Germany have set up a C-Team. If they had set up the best team, they would have been almost certain of a medal,” said the 49-year-old record world champion. who works in Oberhof as an expert for the Norwegian broadcaster TV2.
The German team started without sprint world champion Denise Herrmann-Wick and ex-world champion Benedikt Doll, for the World Cup debutant Sophia Schneider and Philipp Nawrath it was only enough for sixth place. Norway, on the other hand, had its best with its top stars Johannes Thingnes Bö and the new record world champion Marte Olsbu Röiseland, like other top nations.
If Germany, as one of the biggest engines in the international biathlon circus, puts up such a line-up, the competition should not have been held in the first place, said the eight-time Olympic champion: “Then Germany simply has to say that we no longer want this discipline, that it one event is too many. Then they have to be aware of that.”
National coach Mark Kirchner said after the race: “You also have to ask the athletes – and if athletes are not 100 percent ready, then it makes no sense to put them up.” After gold and silver, Herrmann-Wick wanted a break to be fit for the relay and mass start at the weekend.
A total of eight German biathletes qualified for the final individual races on Sunday. Sprint world champion Herrmann-Wick is one of the medal favorites again. At their first World Cup, Sophia Schneider and Hanna Kebinger also made it into the 30s field, Vanessa Voigt completes the DSV quartet. For men, Benedikt Doll, Roman Rees, Johannes Kühn and World Cup debutant Justus Strelow want to challenge Norway’s superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö. The 29-year-old has already won gold five times in five races.
