Paralyzing silence at the shooting range

They were beautiful pictures. The peaks of the Alpine chain glittered like freshly cut jewels and the houses in the valley crouched in their niches with their shingled roofs. And for four days, in front of this impressive backdrop, more than ten thousand fans cheered on their favorites as they powerfully and yet elegantly let their cross-country skis whiz through the trail. Every now and then they stopped to fire a few shots at the pre-assembled targets with the rifle they were carrying on their backs. Where the parking lot is in summer. The images were enchanting, but they suggested an ideal world. It was the opening credits on Eurosport, the television station where I have been commentating for 33 years, for the biathlon races most recently in Ruhpolding. The recordings were from Le Grand Bornand in France in December.

Current pictures would have been dull because no spectators were allowed in Germany, as will be the case in Antholz this week. After my races, I of course continued to follow our program and could hardly believe my blue eyes. In Wengen (Switzerland) more than 20.000 spectators crowded the Lauberhorn route. Both in the downhill and in the slalom. And of course, and that's legitimate, the athletes were happy about the scenery, which can of course also have a positive influence on their performance. Omicron does not have the power of Delta Because it is of course something different when loud cheers erupt after a good performance, while in biathlon there is eerie silence and only the sound of shots makes it clear that there is action here. But you probably can't and don't have to understand that. And that has nothing to do with the fact that alpine skiing or ski jumping and biathlon are organized by different associations. When it comes to Corona, the health authorities of the respective countries, and even the individual regions, have the decision-making authority. In Switzerland, people seem to enjoy surfing the Omicron wave. The 7-day incidence is clearly over 2000. In the Traunstein district, to which Ruhpolding belongs, this value is still below 500. In South Tyrol, according to the latest surveys from January 16th of this year, it is almost 3000, which is probably also due to the fact that many still do not want to be vaccinated. However, the numbers, as frightening as they are at first glance, are not compatible with reality, because fortunately hospitals everywhere still have free beds because Omicron is probably not as violent as the Delta variant.

In Wengen there were more than 20.000 spectators along the route. © ANSA / MARCEL BIERI

Of course, caution is still advised. The risk of infection is particularly high when people are crowded together. The Swiss simply ignored this for their races on the Lauberhorn, because to get to the finish area you have to use the track that runs from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen. An hour and a half of dense crowds. A nightmare for virologists. Fortunately, in South Tyrol people are more responsible. Spectators themselves wouldn't be a problem in the stadium, but thousands have to be transported to the South Tyrol Arena by bus. And this risk is incalculable. A lot of uncertainty before the Olympics Meanwhile, there is also fear among those active because no one wants to deal with a positive corona test so shortly before the Olympic Games, which start on February 4th in Beijing. For example, Erik Lesser, the most experienced German biathlete, is skipping Antholz for this reason. In contrast, the best Norwegians who did not start in Ruhpolding travel directly to Antholz from their training base at the “Passo Lavaze” in Trentino. There is probably no recipe for everyone in this situation to really avoid the virus, which continues to rage, especially since athletes are also repeatedly affected. Franziska Preuß, for example, is still suffering from her corona infection and whether Johannes Kühn can start in Antholz is still up in the air.

Meanwhile, a European Handball Championship is casually taking place in Slovakia and Hungary. 15 players from different nations have already tested positive. Meanwhile, the European Handball Federation (EHF) has its hands tied because, as I said, the countries decide how to deal with the virus. In Slovakia the hall can only be used to 25 percent capacity, while Hungary welcomes Omicron with open arms. You can breathe in vigorously. There are no restrictions whatsoever. Full house and the mask requirement is a joke. So let's stick with the responsible organizers. Of course, in South Tyrol one can be sad that the last races before the Olympic Games only take place in a natural setting, but without spectators. But in order to protect health, our most valuable asset, as best as possible, restrictions must be accepted without reservation. After all, no one wants a total lockdown in terms of sport. And at least: you are somewhat safe from the television.

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Paralyzing silence at the shooting range

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