Starters, title chances and history: Everything you need to know about the World Cup

Where are we going? For the third time after 1970 and 2008, the world title fights will take place in Östersund, Sweden. The small town with almost 50.000 inhabitants is located in central Sweden in the province of Jämtland. Östersund is located on Lake Storsjön and is the provincial capital and capital of the municipality of the same name. The ski stadium was recently extensively modernized. The routes are considered demanding. The renovated winter sports center not far from Lake Storsjön.

What's new? For the first time, the single mixed relay is on the program at a World Cup. The World Cup competition took place for the first time on February 6, 2015 in Nove Mesto. Unlike the mixed relay, only one woman and one man per nation form a team. The women complete four laps of 1,5 km each, the men five laps, shooting four times each (two lying down, two standing). Dorothea Wierer and Lukas Hofer won the most recent competition in this discipline in Soldier Hollow. Will Dorothea Wierer win her first World Cup gold? The speedster has a good chance of winning her first world championship title a few weeks before her 29th birthday. In any case, the second place in the overall World Cup rankings is currently having the best season of her career. She has already been on the podium six times this winter in three different disciplines. Wierer is one of the medal contenders in practically every individual race in Östersund. However, the competition is unlikely to sleep in the fight for gold. What about the rest of the Italian team? Wierer's teammate Lisa Vittozzi is also her biggest competitor. The whiz kid from Friuli is in the form of her life and has climbed to the top of the overall World Cup thanks to incredibly consistent performances. As a result, she is also an absolute gold contender. For all other “Azzurre”, including the two South Tyroleans Alexia Runggaldier and Federico Sanfilippo , a top ten result would be an absolute success.

The Lukas hofer and Dominik Windisch On the other hand, you can confidently expect a top ranking. Hofer has already finished in the top ten in eight individual races this season, and such a result must also be his aim in Sweden. Olympic medalist Windisch got better and better on track after an initial low and is always good for another surprise coup. The other World Cup participants in the Italian men's team are complete outsiders.

In any case, Italy has the best chance of winning a medal in the single mixed or mixed relay. After the 2018 Olympics, Dominik Windisch also wants to surprise at the 2019 World Cup. © Photo Hermann Sobe / Sobe Hermann

Who are the stars and rivals? For men, the most important thing is to beat the Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Bø. The 25-year-old is the dominator of the season and has won twelve of 18 races so far. It remains to be seen how the seven-time overall World Cup winner Martin Fourcade will get into shape; he has lost his supremacy to Bø. Alexandr Loginov, who was once banned for doping, is the best man among the Russians so far. The Austrians can also hope for medals.

Among the women, in addition to Wierer and Vittozzi, the Finnish Kaisa Mäkäräinen, Marte Olsbu Röiseland from Norway and Paulina Fialkova from Slovakia are among the big favorites. Despite a difficult season with health setbacks, the star of the Olympic Games in South Korea, Laura Dahlmeier, is again among the medal candidates at all starts. That winter she missed ten of 18 races, but took one win and two more podiums. Top favorite Johannes Thingnes Bø has his sights set on multiple gold medals. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Who are the most successful ski hunters at a World Cup? Laura Dahlmeier's record from 2017 in Hochfilzen with five golds and one silver is unlikely to be broken. Nobody has ever been that good. Only the Norwegian Tora Berger has ever won precious metal in all six races at a World Championships (4 gold/2 silver). Five medals were won by, among others, record world champion Magdalena Neuner, the French Martin Fourcade and Raphael Poirée as well as Emil Hegle Svendsen and Tarjei Bø from Norway. Who are South Tyrol's previous World Cup heroes? Wilfried Pallhuber is the most successful biathlete of all time in this country and will remain so beyond this World Cup. He has 5 gold and one bronze medals hanging in his trophy cabinet. Behind him are Andreas Zingerle (4 gold medals, 1 bronze), Johann Passler (2 gold, 2 bronze) and Hubert Leitgeb (2 gold, 1 bronze). What is striking: The South Tyroleans won most of the gold medals in the relay, only Zingerle (1993 in Borowetz) and Pallhuber (1997 in Osbrlie) managed to win a gold medal in an individual competition. Wilfried Pallhuber, here in the 2002/03 season, is by far South Tyrol's most successful World Cup participant. © Max Pattis

What does the Italian team look like? Men: Dominik Windisch (lawn), Lukas Hofer (Montal), Thomas Bormolini (Sondalo/Lombardy), Giuseppe Montello (Tolmezzo/Friuli), Thierry Chenal (Sarre/Aosta Valley).

Women: Federica Sanfilippo (Ridanna), Alexia Runggaldier (St. Christina), Dorothea Wierer (Rasen), Lisa Vittozzi (Sapada/Friuli), Nicole Gontier (Champorcher/Aosta Valley).

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Starters, title chances and history: Everything you need to know about the World Cup

The 50th Biathlon World Championships will take place in Östersund from Thursday. For the first time, a total of 9 titles will be at stake over 12 days of competition. South Tyrol is represented by 5 athletes. We answer the ski hunters' most important questions before the highlight of the season.

Suggestions

Comments (0)