Marginal hits from Obertilliach: A personal report

Luis Mahlknecht not only acts as stadium announcer in Anholz, but also recently in Obertilliach. © SN

My 25th Junior Biathlete World Championships as an enthusiastic reporter and this time also as a field announcer was probably the most successful for the representation of the Italian Winter Sports Association. Mirco Romanin's protégés collected ten medals, and it was particularly pleasing that three “Antholzer Gitschn” also made a significant contribution: Linda Zingerle, Rebecca Passler and Hannah Auchentaller. But David Zingerle was also able to convince with his running strength, but missed too often at the shooting range. New team spirit at the Azzurri Overall, there is a wonderful unity in the team; we stick together like pitch. The trainers have managed to unite a large “family” where we encourage, encourage and even comfort each other when necessary. The “feminine touch” that the trainers Samantha Plafoni and Aline Noro have brought to the team also fits in with this – especially today on Women’s Day. A slightly differentiated perspective that is good for everyone.

Rebecca Passler (r.) contributed to the outstanding medal haul. © EXPA/ Lukas Huter

The organizers in Obertilliach also earned gold. They implemented their safety concept during the pandemic with skill and empathy, thereby enabling great competitions that were exciting from the first to the last moment. A well-coordinated organizational team, always friendly firefighters at the access controls, helpfulness and tasty food for employees characterized the ten days in East Tyrol. And as a special icing on the cake, instead of the missing spectators, wooden frames were “clothed” with the elementary school children and set up on the side of the track, so that the whole thing could look almost real and “completely normal”. France faces a great future The winners of the Junior World Championships were certainly the French with the outstanding Emilien Claude. Or with Camille Bened, who not only became the junior world champion in the individual competition, but also ran in the victorious French junior relay team for the fourth time in a row (!). The other side of the coin, however, was the disappointing performances of large nations such as Germany, Norway (although they did not field any biathletes in the youth class) and, above all, the Russian women, who came away completely empty-handed in Obertilliach. The shooting performances of the Russians in particular (except for three-time world champion Denis Irodov) were sometimes hair-raising.

But it was also the World Cup of small and large surprises, of small and quiet joys. Such is the discovery of the Slovenian biathlon flea Lena Repinc, who is working together in training with the Tour de France triumphant Tadej Pogacar, such as the first relay success of a Polish youth relay team, such as the always friendly smile of the athletes from Kazakhstan, such as the patient Simon Fourcade posing for selfies, the sparklers on the cake in the “French Stube” at “Unterwöger” and the always appropriate music recordings by DJ Max Engelmaier.

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Marginal hits from Obertilliach: A personal report

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