Biathlon World Cup: When the ground shakes: Grotian’s return to Oberhof

Selina Grotian has long forgotten the negative experiences from the previous year with the shooting debacle and subsequent demotion. “The anticipation is huge because I still remember how impressive the atmosphere was last year,” said the biathlon newcomer before the home World Cup in Oberhof, Thuringia. “The fans were so loud and rousing that I felt like the ground was shaking beneath me.”

That could be the case again in the sprint on Thursday (2.20 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport), when the 20-year-old competes again for the first time after her first World Cup victory. At the beginning of 2024 she was still crying after only finishing 45th in the pursuit in Oberhof after seven penalty laps. The Bavarian then lost her place in the team and had to temporarily compete in the second-tier IBU Cup. It was a slap in the face, she explained.

Now her self-confidence is completely different. “In the last two weeks I was able to recover really well. The weather and conditions at home were simply perfect,” said Grotian during the short break over the turn of the year. “I made the most of this time.”

Younger than Dahlmeier when he won for the first time

Shortly before Christmas, Grotian fulfilled one of her dreams in the mass start at Le Grand-Bornand ahead of the overall World Cup leader Franziska Preuß, who is still in outstanding form. At her first individual victory in the World Cup, she was even nine months younger than double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier, who was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

“I’m not doing anything differently just because I have a win under my belt. My focus is on continuing to do my best and starting with joy – just like I have done so far,” said Grotian.

Thuringian Vanessa Voigt (27), with whom Grotian vacationed in a camper in Portugal after the preseason, calls her close friend an “inspiration.” According to sports director Felix Bitterling, Grotian, like 19-year-old Julia Tannheimer, is a promise for the future.

World Cup medal after demotion

A promise that Grotian wants to keep, she definitely has the prerequisites. With four gold medals at the 2023 Junior World Championships, she made it to the World Cup in the previous season. But things are different, as she learned. Mistakes are not forgiven. What followed was a rollercoaster ride, including being moved to the second division of biathlon.

But Grotian relies on her calmness and down-to-earth attitude. The perfectionist who has to have “a plan for everything” describes herself as a “little low achiever”. She doesn’t set herself too big goals, she just lets everything happen to her. She gets over bad races relatively quickly. “I think there are much worse things in life that can happen,” Grotian told dpa. Your world doesn’t just consist of biathlon, other things outside of sport are also important.

She implemented her strategy in the preseason. She took the brief step back into the B league as a challenge. It even takes her further in her development, which she didn’t initially expect. The reward: At the World Championships in Nove Mesto, Grotian came fourth in the individual in her first ever World Championship race and shot four times without a mistake for the first time. The coronation follows with relay bronze.

Private low blows before the start of the season

Even now Grotian had to face some setbacks and challenges. Starting the new season was harder than expected for her. “I noticed that my body still had a lot to process, be it mentally or physically,” Grotian wrote on Instagram. It was difficult for her to relax and even self-doubt arose.

This winter has also been “a little bumpy ups and downs” so far. During the final preparation in Vuokatti, her grandmother was dying at home. And she had to say goodbye to her beloved dog Nika. After a cold, Grotian started the season with disappointing places 50 and 48 in Kontiolahti. But she fought back.

Now she has to bring consistency to her performance, especially in shooting. She is on the right track, says her brother Tim, who also trains her. And, as she told ZDF, it has to endure a lot. Because Grotian, who is usually quite calm, can sometimes become loud and angry if things don’t go as planned. “I feel sorry for him sometimes, it’s a shame,” said Grotian, who is “infinitely grateful” to her brother, even if she doesn’t show it that often.