Denise Herrmann-Wick wins the sprint event at Oberhof, giving Germany its first medal in the second World Championship competition. Sweden wins silver and bronze.
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| Denise Herrmann-Wick |
Denise Herrmann-Wick won gold in the sprint for the German biathlon team in the individual disciplines at the World Championships in Oberhof. The Oberwiesenthal lady had a faultless race with no shooting errors, finishing 2.2 seconds quicker than the Swedes Hanna Berg (Sweden) and Linn Persson (+26.2 seconds), who finished second and third, respectively. In fourth place was Olympic champion Marte Olsbu Röiseland (Norway).
Sophia Schneider (Oberteisendorf) finished eighth after a good race. The DSV squad began the World Championships in Oberhof with a disappointing sixth-place finish in the mixed relay.
"I was so delighted when I stepped in that I couldn't keep my pulse down. You can't express how I can dream up a race like this in the snow at my home World Cup "Herrmann-Wick told ZDF.
On Sunday, the former cross-country skier will be one of the favorites in the ten-kilometer race.
The emphasis was on Herrmann-Wick since a sprint medal was Germany's best hope. Herrmann-Wick, with start number 24, began their mission at 2.42 p.m.
Go into the race with caution and don't overdo it - that was the strategy before the first shot, which she followed. Her prone shooting took 32.6 seconds, but all five targets were hit.
It was thus vital to maintain your composure before the last standing stage, as several of the favorites had already lost time. Herrmann-Wick, on the other hand, persevered, aiming one shot after the next.
After Herrmann-Wick came Sweden's Olympic champion berg, who also cleared everything - she was 9.4 seconds ahead of Herrmann-Wick on her final lap. The Saxon, on the other hand, literally soared over the track.
After Berg passed the finish line and the emotion in the arena heated up, it was time to wait until she fell into the arms of the first congratulators.
Herrmann-Wick has now completed the circle. Olympic singles champion, gold at a home world championships, and another world championship victory. She made her name on German biathlon history after transitioning from cross-country skiing in 2016.