Biathlon: Voigt and Strelow miss second place by centimeters

In Kontiolahti, Vanessa Voigt and Justus Strelow marked a promising start to the biathlon season. The duo achieved a commendable third place in the Single Mixed Relay on November 30, 2024. They faced stiff competition, falling short of second place by mere centimeters after a dramatic finish.

Previously, the pair had celebrated their first World Cup victory together in Antholz last season. However, in this relay, after some struggles leading to a total of four extra rounds of shooting, they were outpaced by Julia Simon and Quentin Fillon Maillet from France, whose nine extra rounds helped secure their position just ahead. Ultimately, the Swedish team clinched victory with a time of 36:17.6 minutes, securing the race with a ten-second lead.

Strelow expressed his frustration about running out of energy at the end, but remained optimistic about improving in future competitions. Both athletes were nonetheless pleased with their performance and acknowledged the helpfulness of team solidarity throughout their preparations. Voigt noted, "It feels great to step onto the podium again. It was a thrilling fight to the finish, but we have much to be proud of."

With the strong showing in Kontiolahti, the German team is looking ahead with confidence for the upcoming challenges in this biathlon season.