Men’s Relay Celebrate Bronze at the Biathlon World Championships

The German men’s relay team at the Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide has won a bronze medal – their first at a world level. The quartet of Philipp Nawrath, Danilo Riethmüller, Johannes Kühn, and Philipp Horn raced over 4 x 7.5 kilometers, completing the course with ten extra rounds but without any penalty loops.

Norway took gold with a commanding performance by Endre Stroemsheim, Tarjei Bö, Sturla Holm Laegreid, and Johannes Thingnes Bö, while France claimed silver through strong shooting by Emilien and Fabien Claude alongside Eric Perrot and Quentin Fillon Maillet. Germany finished 1:35.9 minutes behind Norway and 18.1 seconds ahead of the Swedes.

In the first leg, Philipp Nawrath was tasked with keeping the team in contention by performing well in both the skiing and shooting portions. Despite a minor setback with a single extra round during the prone shooting, his effort allowed him to climb back in the standings during his final lap.

Danilo Riethmüller, running the second leg, maintained the gap as he handed over the relay baton with just a few seconds trailing his teammate Johannes Kühn. Riethmüller later admitted that while he was satisfied with his running, his shooting performance was inconsistent.

The third leg was a standout for Johannes Kühn, who delivered a near perfect shooting performance without any extra rounds – a significant achievement given his lower average hit rate in previous World Cup events. His excellent leg helped secure a comfortable gap before the final handover.

Finally, Philipp Horn, the anchor, faced stiff competition from Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson. After a shaky prone shooting where he required three extra rounds, Horn recovered with an almost flawless standing shoot. In a nerve-racking final sprint, his precise shooting and strong skiing allowed him to fend off Samuelsson, ensuring that the German team retained their bronze medal.

Overall, the German relay’s success was a combination of tactical planning, individual determination and clutch performances at critical moments. Their achievement marks a historic moment for the team at the World Championships.