Questions & answers about the Biathlon World Cup

A little look back at the last World Cup: As is well known, it took place in Antholz, in the biathlon heart of South Tyrol. When the coronavirus was just a minor matter and had not yet caused a sensation, thousands upon thousands of biathlon fans made a pilgrimage to the Antholz Valley. From a South Tyrolean perspective, Dorothea Wierer won big. The biathlon queen won four precious metals on her home track, two gold and two silver. One of the silver ones is that of the mixed relay - Lukas Hofer and Dominik Windisch also received a medal.

A little more than a year later, the next World Cup is coming up. We're going to Pokljuka (Slovenia). For 11 days, the best ski hunters in the world run and shoot for the coveted World Cup medals. An overview:

There was a huge rush in Antholz a year ago - that's not the case this year. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Where are we going? Exactly twenty years after the first and so far only Biathlon World Championships in Pokljuka, we are heading back to Slovenia. Pokljuka is not a classic place name, but the name of an alpine plateau in the northwest of the country. Located in the Triglav National Park, Bled is the nearest small town where many teams base their World Cup quarters. The town with around 8000 inhabitants on Lake Bled is best known in summer for its regatta course and as the host of past rowing world championships. The journey time to Pokljuka, which is around 20 meters high, is a good 1300 minutes. What is the Corona situation in Slovenia? Tense. The number of infections is relatively high, which is why Slovenia is currently considered a high incidence area. The World Cup will take place under a so-called bubble with many strict hygiene rules; spectators are not allowed on site. The participants are regularly tested for Corona. In order to shield themselves, the German team in Bled has accommodation all to themselves and also their own concept for hygiene. The athletes each get single rooms. What's going on for South Tyroleans? The question of questions: Can Dorothea Wierer repeat the Antholz feat? The 30-year-old can do anything, especially when it comes to winning the World Cup. In the World Cup season so far, Wierer was not able to achieve the same top results as last season, but removing the racer from the list of medal contenders is like removing eggs from an omelette recipe: a no-go. In good form, Doro is not only good for a medal, but even for gold.

Has Lukas Hofer finally been granted a podium finish in Slovenia and thus a World Cup medal? © APA/afp / TOBIAS SCHWARZ

In the men's category, Biathlon South Tyrol can think highly of Lukas Hofer. The Montaler has recently missed the podium by a hair's breadth in the World Cup and can count himself among the biggest opponents of the Norwegian dominators. He too is good for a medal in Slovenia, but for that he finally needs that little bit of luck that has so far always been denied him.

Another place to have the Azzurri on your list is in the mixed relays. Dorothea Wierer, Lisa Vittozzi, Lukas Hofer and Dominik Windisch have already proven this a few times in the quartet. And Italy also has a strong duo to offer in the single mixed relay with Dorothea Wierer and Lukas Hofer.

You can find all the biathletes in the Azzurri squad here . Who are the other favorites? For men, all world titles go – once again – to Johannes Thingnes Bø. However, the 27-year-old faces a lot of competition from his own team. Four Norwegians are currently ahead in the overall World Cup. For women there are two. There Marte Olsbu Röiseland leads ahead of Tiril Eckhoff. Hanna Öberg from Sweden is also likely to be near the top among the women. The Austrian Lisa Theresa Hauser was recently in strong form. Dorothea Wierer is also one of the contenders for a medal. Among the men, the French around Quentin Fillon Maillet, the Swedes around Sebastian Samuelsson or Lukas Hofer could best prevent a Norwegian party.

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Questions & answers about the Biathlon World Cup

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