German biathletes enter last world cup races in antholz before pyeongchang olympic winter games with some worries.
While laura dahlmeier’s form is improving ahead of the weekend’s pursuit races and mass starts, and arnd peiffer again has podium chances, mass start world champion simon schempp is still not getting into the swing of things as desired. Franziska hildebrand also has problems again in italy.
UPWIND: after her second place in the sprint, dahlmeier goes today (13.3 p.M.) as the big favorite in the pursuit. The specialist for the hunt race is only twelve seconds behind tiril eckhoff from norway. The seven-time world champion reaches for her 19th victory in south tyrol. World cup victory – and can do something for their self-confidence after previously difficult weeks.
SORRY I: schempp complained on friday after his 20. Place in sprint again about back pain. These prevented both a secure feeling in the standing shooting and a better running performance. The twelve-time world cup winner hopes for improvement before the olympics. "From the condition, from the strength, i feel quite good. If I can get the problems under control, I’m confident," said schempp.
SORGEN II: hildebrand almost couldn’t be happy about her ninth place in the sprint in south tyrol. Instead, she was close to tears at the finish line on thursday as she complained of severe pain in her shins once again. The two-time relay world champion has had problems with her shin muscles on several occasions in the past.
SORTS III: men in particular make too many shooting mistakes. Of the german sextet, only third-placed arnd peiffer remained without a penalty round in the sprint. Benedikt doll (4 faults), schempp (3), erik lesser (3), johannes kuhn (3) and roman rees (2) were not convincing in only partly complicated conditions. 60 shots fired by the germans, 15 missed – too many.
HOPE: seven-time season winner johannes thingnes bo from norway and martin fourcade from france, who has been on the podium in all 13 races so far, seem to be far ahead of the competition. Behind them, peiffer provided hope in the sprint with his first podium finish in ten months. But the 30-year-old didn’t want this to be taken as an indication for the olympics: "I don’t like cross-comparisons like that."In the pursuit on saturday and the mass start on sunday he wants to confirm his good form.