Biathletes Struggling with Shooting and Mental Issues Ahead of World Championships

Biathletes Struggling with Shooting and Mental Issues Ahead of World Championships

With the World Championships in Lenzerheide approaching from February 12 to 23, the challenges faced by German biathletes are increasingly evident. Particularly, their shooting form has been lacking. Sports director Felix Bitterling expressed concern about the recent performances: "It's not a happy stretch that's coming together in the past weeks," he stated after the poor showing in Antholz.

In the recent World Cup in Antholz, Philipp Horn only managed to secure an eleventh place in the pursuit race, while second-best German athlete Philipp Nawrath finished twenty-first. Johannes Kühn struggled with shooting and finished at twenty-eighth, while the remaining athletes fell outside the top thirty. This was not the ideal preparation they had hoped for ahead of the World Championships.

Mental Issues as a Major Factor

Bitterling emphasized the importance of remaining unfazed by these performance issues, urging the team to continue training hard. He predicted that they would see an improved performance during the Championships compared to their recent outings.

The shooting difficulties seem to stem from mental pressures, with Bitterling noting, "If you listen to what the athletes say afterwards and what they are preoccupied with in the lead-up, I believe it’s not entirely anxiety-free."

Early Season Success Seems Forgotten

Last season, the German biathletes sparked excitement among fans, but that seems far behind now. This winter started off solidly, with Nawrath placing third during the season opener in Finland, but now none of the Germans are in the top ten of the overall standings, with Nawrath closest at eleventh place.

Nawrath highlighted that the pressure during home races has played a role in their performances, saying the mental pressure can weigh heavily when competing at home. This pressure will still be present at the World Championships, even though not held on home soil.

Learning from Inspirational Figures

The German men could draw lessons from biathlete Franziska Preuß, who highlighted her methods for managing mental pressures. "Currently, I’m managing to keep distracting thoughts away from my mind," she said. Often, athletes perform their best when not under high expectations, and the hope remains that Nawrath, Strelow, and the rest of the team can defy the odds during the Championships.