Biathlon: German Duo with Great Chance

German Duo with Great Chance

As the new Biathlon World Cup season approaches, several places in the German roster are still up for grabs, and two newcomers have a hopeful chance of making the World Cup squad.

When the Biathlon World Cup kicks off on November 30 in Kontiolathi, Finland, all national teams must be finalized. For the German team, not all spots have been secured yet, and a duo is surprisingly hopeful of making the cut.

In the Biathlon, both the German men's and women's teams have six slots to fill. Currently, only Franziska Preuß and Vanessa Voigt have secured their places on the women's side. On the men's side, the race for spots is tight, with Johannes Kühn, Justus Strelow, Philipp Nawrath, and Philipp Horn already occupying two thirds of the available positions.

Overall, there are six spots still open, which will be filled in two qualification races just two weeks before the World Cup start. The German women will see Selina Grotian, Hanna Kebinger, Sophia Schneider, Johanna Puff, Julia Kink, and Julia Tannheimer in action, alongside a newly added athlete, Marion Wiesensarter.

Special Praise for Wiesensarter

Biathlon Sports Director Felix Bitterling expressed his pleasant surprise at the 29-year-old supersprint world champion's performance: "Marion has distinguished herself with good results at the German Championships and has earned her chance in Vuokatti." After losing her squad status over the summer, she faced a tough road ahead, but now her prospects are looking brighter again.

Among the men's competitors, Roman Rees, Simon Kaiser, David Zobel, and Danilo Riethmüller have already secured their spots for the qualification, while Lucas Fratzscher is stepping up as another contender after making headlines with his sprint victory and silver medal in the pursuit in Altenberg.