Biathlon World Cup: German biathletes get bronze at the start of the World Cup

Justus Strelow dragged himself to the finish line with the very last force before he was completely exhausted in the snow by his teammates euphoric: In a gripping final, the German biathlon team is a wonderful start to the world championships in the first race in the first race in the first race Swiss Lenzerheide.

At the start, Selina Grotian, Franziska Preuß, Philipp Nawrath and Strelow with bronze in the mixed relay, won the first medal in this competition for six years. “It was so hard, I’m glad I made it to the finish,” said Strelow.

It was a very tight number. The Strelow, which was first used as the final runner, went out on his final round, but he fended off the attack by Norway’s superstar Johannes Thingnes Bö and thus secured bronze. After 4×6 kilometers, the DSV team had 1: 18.4 minutes behind the superior French after eleven loading. The Czech Republic was second, Bö was only 2.7 seconds behind Strelow.

Most recently, Vanessa Hinz, Denise Herrmann-Wick, Arnd Peiffer and Benedikt Doll, all of whom are no longer active, had recently brought in Östers and silver. For Nawrath it was probably the best early gift a day before his 32nd birthday.

National coach presses their fingers crossed

Shortly before the race, national coach Julian Nagelsmann and football stars such as Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller wished the team good luck in a video message message. “My mother is biathlon-conferred, I also see it a lot. And I want her to be in a good mood … accelerate,” said biathlon fan Nagelsmann.

In addition, the poker with Strelow rose as the last runner, because actually he cannot keep up with the top of the world in the trail. But because he only needed 18 seconds and standing 19 seconds, he took out the crucial seconds.

And the material also fit with clear plus degrees and an increasingly deeper trail. “Our material was really good,” said Grotian, who started with her teammates for the first time in this line -up. At the past World Cup in Nove Mesto, the skis, which were not competitive in such conditions, had been the all overlapping topic.

In front of 7,500 spectators in the Roland Arena in the canton of Graubünden at a height of 1400 meters, Grotian needed a total of four after -loaders. “I’ve had headache all day. I am incredibly sorry for the team that I didn’t get through there,” said the Bavarian, who was still the fastest starting runner.

French are a class of their own

She sent Preuss into the race with 19.6 seconds behind leaders France. While her long -term rival Lou JeanMonnot brought the favorite to victory course, Preuss had to reload twice. The gap to 55 seconds grew, but the DSV team was clearly on the medal course. “It is extremely hard today, it wasn’t quite the yellow of the egg,” said Preuss, who couldn’t play her good gliding in deep snow.

Nawrath wobbled at standing shooting. “Thank God I avoided the penalty round, that was the most important thing,” he said. So for Strelow in the fight for silver and bronze in a three -way battle at the shooting range with Italy and the Czech Republic. And the 28-year-old Sachse got everything out of himself and was rewarded with his team.