Passler after World Cup cancellation: “Of course we are disappointed”

At the Biathlon European Championships in Martell, the sprints were a real spectacle on Friday. We chatted with most of the South Tyrolean participants after the competition – including Rebecca Passler, who is not allowed to go to the World Championships in Lenzerheide this year.

31 January 2025

From the Martell Valley

From:
David Lechthaler

It was no big surprise that Rebecca Passler not in the five-man World Cup squad of the Azzurre was called up. After being set back at the end of November due to illness, the Antholz native only returned to the World Cup in January. "I got another chance to prove myself in Antholz. I think I made good use of it. In the end, you have to say that the others were better than me this year. That's why they deserve it," said the two-time World Cup participant.

Upon request from SportNewsWhen asked whether the disappointment about the cancellation of the World Cup was great, Passler replied: "I think you're always disappointed, that's for sure. You always want to go further up. I was ill for a long time, so I'll accept it. I'm already looking forward to next year." The 23-year-old mentions that the Olympic Games will be coming to her hometown in 2026. Passler definitely wants to be there then.

“In the end, you have to say that the others were better than me this year.” Rebecca Passler

And what does Passler say about her performance today? "I don't know what the problem was today. Otherwise, I felt good in terms of running. The break on Wednesday was good and was discussed with the trainers." With 8th place in the sprint, she is certainly one of the candidates for a medal in the pursuit on Saturday.

What do the other EM protagonists say?

Linda Zingerle (11th place): "I'm obviously very happy with the shooting. But I didn't feel so good in terms of running today. With 0 errors, I was perhaps expecting a little more. In general, I'm having a bit of trouble in the sprint this year - with the high rhythm. But apart from the last lap, it went well. Physically, I feel better than last year. I'm still a little bit away from a top place. Hopefully it will come at some point."

Linda Zingerle at her finish. © am

Birgit Schölzhorn (18th place): "I'm very satisfied. It took me a little longer to shoot standing, but the goal was to keep a clean sheet there. It's great that I've managed to achieve the best result of the season at the European Championships. Especially when you see what kind of competition you're up against. It's nice to compare yourself with the big guys."

“It’s great that we’ve achieved our best result of the season at the European Championships.” Birgit Schölzhorn

Patrick Braunhofer (16th place): "I already felt in the first round today that my running wasn't going as well as it did on Wednesday. My legs were extremely heavy and my calves were sore. But I managed to get through it. It's a shame about that one mistake."

Here you can find the reports on women's and for Men's-Sprint.