Start of the new season: Biathlon: Voigt and Strelow on the podium at the start

Vanessa Voigt and Justus Strelow gave the German biathlon team their first podium place at the start of the new season. In the single mixed relay, Strelow had to admit defeat to the Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet by a few centimeters in a thrilling sprint finale for second place in the photo finish.

“I tried to open a gap at the hairpin, but then I ran out of strength on the home straight,” said Strelow. Nevertheless, there was great joy about third place. “That gives a good feeling. We can be very satisfied,” said Voigt on ZDF.

After a total of four spares, the German duo was 10.2 seconds behind the victorious Swedes Ella Halvarsson and Sebastian Samuelsson (4 spares). Julia Simon and Fillon Maillet made it to the podium despite nine extra cartridges (+ 10.2 seconds).

Strewlow runs duo forward

In Kontiolahti, which was not very wintery, where only the white band of snow on the track ran through the otherwise green-brown landscape, Voigt (27) had to reload three times in her first two shooting sessions and only sent Strelow (27) in the pursuit in twelfth place. The best shooter of the previous season made full use of his strengths and brought the DSV team up to fifth place.

Voigt, who had been struggling with mental problems in the summer and was unable to train for a good month and a half, did much better in her second run with two error-free prone stages and finished her race in fourth place. Strelow then took an extra cartridge before passing the fumbling Frenchman in the last standing shot. But in the end Fillon Maillet had the better end for himself.