This is how Antholz avoids the Corona sadness

When I was first sent to Antholz by my broadcaster more than twenty years ago to report on the biathlon races there, I had no idea what to expect. I didn't know much about the area and certainly nothing about the location of the stadium.

I had learned this much by then: Facilities for this sport are often a bit out of the way. Presumably for security reasons, because there is live fire. And then this: Even the journey was an experience. As if you were leading into heaven. Ever higher. And the view from up there was magnificent, wherever you looked. I've been everywhere over the years. In Russia and in the USA and at all biathlon venues in Europe. That's why I can say and claim with a clear conscience: Antholz has by far the most beautiful biathlon stadium in the world, because everything you need to do great sport in front of a breathtaking backdrop has been carefully built underground. Nothing spoils the view of the surrounding peaks in the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park. Just awesome.

Of course the word got around. Antholz has become a place of pilgrimage, especially for many fans from Germany. You have to be here once in your life. And after that you become a repeat offender anyway. Some even stay for life. This year, of course, everyone has to live from their beautiful memories, because no spectators are allowed in Antholz either. There are no limits for your creativity Luckily, South Tyroleans are not children of sadness. They are active and imaginative and so the organization around President Lorenz Leitgeb and Secretary General Erika Pallhuber, together with the entire team, did not complain for long, but rather rolled up their sleeves. You could also say: the computers booted up. There is its own hashtag: #AntholzFamily. The idea behind it is as simple as it is ingenious and corresponds to the heartfelt desire of those responsible: They don't want to let the fans down, even if they can't physically be there. First of all, greeting videos were collected from stars like Johannes Dale, Maren Hammerschmidt, Laura Dahlmeier and of course Dominik Windisch, Lukas Hofer, Dorothea Wierer and sent them to the fans.

This year, only athletes and helpers are keeping things busy in the South Tyrol Arena.

In return, an incredible number of fan clubs have become active and have shown how and where they will follow the races in Antholz, although of course there are limits to these activities due to the Corona restrictions. And it goes further. Fans had the opportunity to have a life-size cardboard cutout made of themselves. “We then put them in the stadium and after the event the fans can receive them as a souvenir,” says Günther Leitgeb, who this time as stadium announcer has no easy task, as cardboard cutouts react quite slowly to cheers. But at least spectators in the stadium suddenly become spectators in front of the television sets, who are given the feeling that they are somehow there at the biggest sporting event in South Tyrol. And I'm sure many are hoping to see themselves. This brings life into the place, even if the characters obviously cannot replace the usual backdrop.

In addition, a “Fan of the Day” will be chosen virtually. On Facebook and Instagram, viewers can post from their TV chairs until their fingers hurt. And young talent from South Tyrol is also part of the activities. The elementary school children, who are usually allowed to go to the stadium every once in a while, have taken out their crayons and are drawing portraits of themselves with increasing enthusiasm, which of course will then be exhibited in the stadium. So they're not there, but they're right in the middle of it. In any case, the makers of Antholz pulled out all the stops to turn a difficult situation into a great biathlon experience that people not only look forward to in South Tyrol.

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This is how Antholz avoids the Corona sadness

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