“A grab in the toilet”: Germany’s biathletes on the ground

Horrified by their own disastrous performance, the German biathletes harshly criticized themselves after the weakest World Cup result in their history. “It was all bad today,” said Erik Lesser after his indisputable 66th place in the Pokljuka sprint on Friday. The Thuringian even missed the pursuit race in Slovenia on Sunday; Olympic champion Arnd Peiffer, as the best DSV ski hunter in 36th place, also had no chance. “If we don’t deliver, we have no arguments. We as athletes have to look after our own noses,” said Peiffer, who was one of the medal candidates in his flagship discipline over ten kilometers.

While the Swede Martin Ponsiluoma, coached by Munich coach Johannes Lukas, celebrated his first world championship title, the German ski hunters had to accept the next bitter blow. “It was a mess from start to finish,” said Lesser, who finished last in the disappointing DSV quartet. Almost two and a half minutes behind. “My lungs exploded, my muscles exploded,” he said. As bad as ever Behind Peiffer, former world champion Benedikt Doll came in 39th and Johannes Kühn in 45th - the Germans have never been so bad at a World Cup. For comparison: Since reunification, Andreas Birnbacher's 16th sprint finish at the 2012 World Championships in Ruhpolding was the weakest result.

Arnd Peiffer was also disappointing. © APA/afp / JURE MAKOVEC

“I asked myself along the way why I was part of the World Cup team,” said Lesser openly. At the start of the mixed relay he was disappointing both in terms of running and at the shooting range. The man from Frankenhain made it clear: “I can’t explain what’s going on here. With an achievement like that, I won’t offer myself for anything anymore.” “I’m worried they’re digging themselves into a hole now.” Expert Magdalena Neuner After the botched start with seventh place in the mixed relay, we now have to quickly clear our heads again. Not only national coach Mark Kirchner is more in demand than ever as a psychologist. “A World Cup isn’t that long. We have to improve,” said Peiffer (33). In the hunting race on Sunday, the partial performances have to be right in order to regain self-confidence. “The worm is in there. I am concerned that they are now digging themselves into a hole,” said ARD expert and record world champion Magdalena Neuner.

Nothing went well for Peiffer & Co., especially at the shooting range. While winner Ponsiluoma and the second-placed Frenchman Simon Desthieux remained error-free, the Germans made a total of twelve errors: Peiffer and Lesser two each, Doll and Kühn four each. Frenchman Emilien Jacquelin came third with one penalty. The favored Norwegians around star Johannes Thingnes Bö (5th), who had previously won all six World Cup sprints, came away empty-handed.

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“A grab in the toilet”: Germany’s biathletes on the ground

After the botched mixed relay, the German biathletes wanted to do better in the first individual World Cup race. But nothing works again, the result is historically bad.

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