Philipp Nawrath delivered another strong performance in the Holmenkollen sprint, yet the grim prospect of a winless season continues to loom over the German Ski Association.
Starting with bib number one, Philipp Nawrath pushed hard to the finish line, initiating a tense wait for the results. Ultimately, the desired happy ending eluded him at the Holmenkollen World Cup final; despite flawless shooting, Germany’s top biathlete finished eighth, off the podium, after a long wait. This outcome also dashed his already slim hopes for the small Crystal Globe in the Sprint World Cup, intensifying the threat of the German Ski Association (DSV) enduring its first-ever winless World Cup season.
«The top athletes were clearly stronger, I have to acknowledge that,» Nawrath stated. «I wasn’t quite as fresh on the course today. I could keep pace reasonably well for the first two laps, but on the last lap, I just ran out of steam.» Meanwhile, France’s Eric Perrot clinched the overall World Cup title – the big Crystal Globe – two races before the end of the winter, securing the main prize after his third-place finish in the overall standings, making him uncatchable.
In Friday’s sprint, Sturla Holm Lägreid secured victory despite one penalty loop, ahead of France’s Emilien Jacquelin (1 penalty/+3.9 seconds) and Perrot (1 penalty/+4.6 seconds). For Nawrath to have triumphed in the Sprint World Cup, he would have needed at least a third-place finish and relied on mistakes from his rivals. Instead, Lägreid claimed the small Crystal Globe.
For the German biathletes at the final event, the primary goal remains averting the historic embarrassment of their first winless World Cup season. «That’s a tough balance sheet,» remarked expert Denise Herrmann-Wick. «For a victory, everything naturally has to come together, and it hasn’t this season. I hope this serves as an incentive for the coming years, so we can pick up where we left off.»
Four Races Remain to Avert Winless Season
Due to above-freezing temperatures and a soft track, the start order was once again changed at short notice, allowing the top athletes to start early. Nawrath was even assigned bib number one, but couldn’t fully capitalize on this advantage after his third-place finish in the Otepää sprint the previous week. The next best Germans were Philipp Horn (2 penalties/+1:06.2 minutes) and Justus Strelow (1 penalty/+1:07.9 minutes), finishing twelfth and thirteenth, respectively. World Cup debutant Franz Schaser (0 penalties/+1:40.8 minutes) also delivered a commendable performance, placing among the top 25.
Four races still remain to prevent Germany’s first-ever winless World Cup season. The action continues on Saturday (13:45 and 16:15 CET) with the pursuits, where a victory seems hardly realistic given the starting positions. In the women’s event, Vanessa Voigt, as the top German, will start only from 16th place. The season concludes on Sunday (13:30 and 16:30 CET) with the traditional mass start races.