Biathlon stories from Ridnaun

A beautiful snowfall in early November. But then high temperatures, rain and foehn. The first snow melted in Ridnaun like honey from a pot, and real doubts arose about the holding of the first seasonal competitions. But cold days at the end of the month and, above all, the efficiency of the organizers around Walter Hochrainer made it possible to prepare a three-kilometer-long trail. And so nothing stood in the way of an Italian Cup race on December 3rd and 4th and now the IBU Cup. All athletes had nothing but praise for the routes and the redesign of the start-finish area. “I came here directly from Norway because I don’t have such conditions at home,” said Thierry Chenal, for example. The Aosta native is used in the sprint with a few other guys from the Italian team.

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The fact that the home team has decided not to use women only causes some observers to shake their heads. A Carmen Runggaldier or an Eleonora Fauner could have at least been offered a chance.

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In Ridnaun you often meet friends who are “unfamiliar” with sport. Ubald Prucker from Val Gardena, former head of the entire Italian biathlon movement, has been traveling with the Japanese for several years. Armin Kasslatter is in demand and very popular among the Swiss as a "man for everything", Jo Obererlacher from Obertilliach is already an "exotic carer" (this time he is looking after the Australians), and Isabella Filippi's brother acts as a man among the Slovaks Wax technician with.

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The IBU Cup is often the springboard for the World Cup. For the German “switcher” Denise Herrmann, this “elevator function” was fulfilled more quickly than expected. She won her first race in Beitostolen and also impressed in the mixed relay in Ridnaun. And when news of Franziska Preuß' illness arrived from Pokljuka, the former cross-country skier was put in a car and driven to Slovenia. Elisabeth Högberg from Sweden also had to drive to Pokljuka after the Thursday races. The best cake baker in the biathlon family already has plenty of experience in the World Cup.

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Speaking of Sweden: An extremely likeable biathlete has been part of the three-crown team for over a year. It's Chardine Sloof, who once made sports history as a junior. In 2012 she won the junior world championship title for her home country, the Netherlands, in Kontiolahti, Finland. The Sloof family once emigrated to Sweden as traveling traders for cheese specialties, where Chardine discovered and learned to love the sport of biathlon. She was naturalized at the end of 2015 and now she walks actively in the blue and yellow dress.

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Biathlon stories from Ridnaun

Ridnaun is currently hosting the IBU Cup, the second most important biathlon racing series after the World Cup. Luis Mahlknecht took time for SportNews and compiled some curiosities.

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