biathlon
Denise Herrmann-Wick before the first World Cup singles: “Form is there”
“It’s nice to see that the path continues and that the form is there,” says Denise Herrmann-Wick. photo
© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
Denise Herrmann-Wick is Germany’s biggest hope for a medal at the Biathlon World Cup. In the botched mixed relay she shows the best performance, now she wants to attack in the sprint.
Denise Herrmann-Wick quickly ticked off the botched mixed relay with sixth place. The best German biathlete immediately focused on the first individual race of the home World Championships in Oberhof.
“Everything fits. Now it’s time to stay the course and stay focused,” said the 34-year-old with a view to the sprint on Friday (2:30 p.m. / ZDF and Eurosport).
On Wednesday in the mixed relay, Vanessa Voigt, Herrmann-Wick, Benedikt Doll and Roman Rees only managed a disappointing sixth place after a penalty loop by veteran Doll. But despite missing the team medal, Herrmann-Wick was able to collect more points for their own self-confidence. Because exactly one year and one day after her individual Olympic victory, the 34-year-old set the best running time in her round and only missed once on the shooting range in the standing position.
Herrmann-Wick is Germany’s biggest hope for a medal and has so far been responsible for the DSV team’s only two wins of the season in the World Cup. She won a sprint in December in Hochfilzen and the pursuit at the World Championships dress rehearsal in Antholz at the end of January.
Herrmann-Wick is motivated
“It’s nice to see that the path continues like this and that the form is there,” said Herrmann-Wick, who as a strong runner accommodates the demanding routes on the Rennsteig. “If the discs fall, it would be a very good basis, running is fine anyway.” Before what will probably be her last world championship, she did another training block at high altitude on the Seiser Alm in the South Tyrolean Dolomites.
She has support from her family and husband Thomas Wick, who watched the start of the World Cup in the Thuringian Forest. “Now it’s time to stay healthy, think from race to race, recover well in between, but don’t ski down too far,” said the former cross-country skier.
The World Cup program is more special than the World Cup, “there you already have your rituals that you do. But the World Cup program is a slightly different category.” If she runs all the races, she will start seven times in a week and a half.