German athletes are second in the World Cup at home in Ruhpolding

The German biathlon women knew how to impress in the Ruhpolding relay – even if there was still room for improvement in the shooting range.

German women’s biathlon achieved first place in the relay race at the World Cup at home in Ruhpolding. The team around sprinters Anna Weidel, Vanessa Voigt, Sofia Schneider and Denise Hermann-Wyck ended up finishing second against an impressive backdrop at Chiemgau Arena in Ruhpolding. The Norwegians won favorite with the top runners Mart Olsbo of Roysland and Ingrid Landmark Tandrivold. The Italians came in third.

Anna Weidel was the first German women’s runner. Weidel completed the first shooting too quickly – but not enough, which is why she needed two shots. With a standing ovation from the spectators, the German came to the second shooting. In the standing position, Weidel fired again very quickly, but this time he was a little better: she needed only one reserve. On the last lap, Weidel, who had been absent due to illness the past few days, took it all out again. However, the gap widened dramatically, with second runner Vanessa Voigt a minute behind. Weidel lost more than half a minute on the last lap. “I’m so sorry for the whole team,” she said after the race in an interview with ARD.

Voigt kept the lead to just over a minute on the first lap. She was convincing on her first shootout and clean shot. The gap between leading French women hasn’t widened, but it hasn’t shrunk either. Voigt returned to the track in eighth place. Voigt also shot well in the standing position and moved into fourth. The gap to French Chloe Chevalier remained one minute, because she also presented two powerful shooting spells. In fourth place, Voigt handed his place to Sophia Schneider, less than a minute behind. “She couldn’t have done better that day,” hailed ARD expert and former 25-year-old Arend Beaver.

The first shooting began with a shocking moment for Schneider: the first shot missed, the other shot did not find the target either. With two to spare and still in fourth place, the fast-paced Schneider was back on track. Schneider also needed two pit stops in the standing stage, but then rallied into fifth place, less than a minute behind the now leading Norwegian Mart Olsbo Roysland. On the last lap, Schneider went to the throttle again and sent Dennis Hermann-Wicke into the race for third. This meant that Schneider caught up to the lead by 14 seconds on the last lap.

Hermann-Wicke also promptly persuaded him. She matched Italy’s powerful Dorothea Ferrer in the field and went into the penultimate shooting session in second place. It quickly became clear there: the strong Norwegian Tandrivold could no longer be pushed out of the first position, she shot quickly and without errors. Unlike Hermann-Wick: the German made a mistake and therefore went to the track right behind Wierer, but the small gap was closed very quickly.

At the last standing stage, Tandrivold was cold again – thus ensuring Norway’s victory in the relay. After that it got exciting in the duel for second place. Wierer and Hermann-Wick needed spare parts. So there was an end on the last lap. However, the German managed to win this quickly and finished a distant second. After the German men, women also reached the podium. Men also finished second on Friday.

Mass is due to begin at the end of the World Cup in Ruhpolding on Sunday. The men’s start at 12:30pm, and the women’s start at 2:45pm.