Whipping squalls spoil the biathlon party
Heavy rain and squalls disrupt the schedule at the biathletes' home World Cup in Oberhof. The start of the party is delayed. The DSV had "expected" the chaos, it was now a matter of "fair sporting competitions". And salvation is probably near.
The rain fell without pause from the gray skies over Oberhof, strong gusts of wind whipped through the arena on the Rennsteig: at the start of the biathlon party in the Thuringian Forest, the host was in a weather-related hangover mood. The bitter consequence for the German fans: they will have to wait a little longer for their heroes on the cross-country ski run.
The men's sprint scheduled for Thursday had to be postponed. The IBU announced that the 10-kilometre race could not take place as planned due to the "warm weather and rain as well as the strong wind forecast". "It was actually to be expected," said DSV sports director Felix Bitterling in the warm press center: "From our point of view, it is the only right decision."
OC boss Bernd Wernicke emphasized that the aim was to "hold six fair competitions" - unimaginable given the feared conditions on Thursday. But despite all the annoyance, the organizer is not giving up hope of a well-rounded event.
According to the initial forecast, rescue is in sight on Friday, explained Heiko Krause, Technical Director of the sports facilities at the Thuringian Winter Sports Center. It would be a fitting time, as there are now two races on the program just before the weekend: First, the men will compete in their rescheduled sprint race at 11:20 am, followed by the women at 2:25 pm (both ARD and Eurosport).
Franziska Preuß has big plans
The DSV team was not disturbed by the postponements and trained in the indoor ski hall near the race course, protected from the rain. The preparation should not be affected by the weather, after all the German team wants to give their fans a lot of pleasure at their home World Cup, even with a day's delay.
Franziska Preuß in particular had taken it easy for successful days in Oberhof. Christmas with the whole family, a roaring New Year's Eve party? No such thing. "The main goal was of course to stay healthy," said the 29-year-old: "That's why I really kept contacts to a minimum." Health problems should not put a spanner in the works. Preuß had to cancel her last appearance in the Thuringian Forest at short notice because her body simply wasn't up to it. And so all that remained at the home World Championships last spring was the painful role of spectator. Preuß has also been plagued by health problems this winter, losing her yellow jersey in Hochfilzen due to coronavirus.
But before the Christmas break, she came back in Lenzerheide with great performances that give her courage for the double pack in Thuringia and Ruhpolding. Preuß is therefore "mega happy that I can compete in front of a home crowd again this year". Despite the interim forced break, Preuß is in fifth place in the overall World Cup, the gap to the top is a comparatively small 105 points. "That's why I'm fully motivated to get a little closer to the yellow jersey again with good results," she said.
Benedikt Doll is also aiming for moments of brilliance in Oberhof - after all, the 33-year-old also has a score to settle after the World Championships at home. "Of course you want medals at the World Championships," said Doll: "Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to coming back to Oberhof." After the postponed start, the pursuit races are scheduled for Saturday, with the relays concluding in Oberhof on Sunday.
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Despite the postponements, the German biathletes continue to train for their home World Cup, determined to put on a strong show for their fans. Franziska Preuß, in particular, is eager to make amends for her forced break at the last home World Championships and improve her position in the overall World Cup standings. Meanwhile, the men's biathlon event, including the much-anticipated biathlon sprint, is scheduled to take place on Friday, offering a chance for Franziska and her teammates to showcase their skills in the winter sports discipline of biathlon.
Source: www.ntv.de
