Wm dress rehearsal: fiasco for german biathletes
Gossner, of all people, who had previously won in oberhof and ruhpolding, experienced a debacle over the 7.5 kilometers with seven sliding faults and 62nd place, just like sachenbacher-stehle. She finished 78th in her comeback in the biathlon world cup with five penalty laps. Both missed the qualification for the pursuit on saturday. Especially for gossner this is a bitter blow in the fight for the overall world cup victory.
The only one who had something to laugh about was nadine horchler. The 26-year-old shot clear in the victory of slovakian olympic champion anastasiya kuzmina and achieved her best world cup result to date with fifth place. "I was not a zero today. I shot the zero," she said. "That was a great race and gives me further self-confidence."This could not, however, overcome the generally poor performance of the germans. "Today we are going home with very long fences. Compliments to nadine, but it’s a bit easier on our results," said women’s coach gerald honig, who, like his athletes, had the disappointment written all over his face. Andrea henkel (2 faults) was 25., franziska hildebrand (3) finished 39th. Into the finish.
Miriam gossner had a bitter experience. Not only did the three-time season winner have to complete 1050 extra meters. To make matters worse, she fell and hit her head, unnoticed by the cameras. There also the renewed running best time was of no use. The 22-year-old stomped into the dressing room in a state of complete disgust. Via press spokesman stefan schwarzbach, she then said: "i didn’t feel good from the start, then there were the seven mistakes and a fall where i hit my head. Everything just went wrong today."
After the failed world championship dress rehearsal, psychological finesse is now required. "Miri is our winning skater. We have to be very careful with her now so that we can rebuild her very quickly," said honig.
After her second place in the IBU cup, sachenbacher-stehle had also imagined her second appearance in the concert of the world’s best female skiers differently. But the two-time olympic cross-country champion paid a lesson in bright sunshine and perfect conditions. "I knew it would not be easy in the high. But I hoped it would work out. But I was taught better," analyzed the 32-year-old. At her first world cup start in pokljuka she was 48. And 59. Became.
Shaking her head, sachenbacher-stehle looked at the video screen after crossing the finish line and waved it off. Bad shooting and bad running, that’s the bavarian’s short summary: "I just don’t feel good at all when I’m running high, and then the pushing was also bad. The mistakes were close, but a mistake is a mistake."Nevertheless she could start in the relay on sunday. "We will decide that independently of this result," explained honig.
No explanation for her bad result had veteran andrea henkel. "I’m still looking for clues as to what caused it. I didn’t feel as good as yesterday. But also not so bad that with two mistakes 25. I have to be good," said the 35-year-old.