biathlon
German men’s relay in Ruhpolding in second place
Final runner Philipp Nawrath secured second place for the German relay team. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
Even two penalties from Benedikt Doll didn’t end the German biathletes’ relay series of successes at the World Cup home game in Ruhpolding.
Even two penalties from Benedikt Doll broke the German biathletes’ relay winning streak at their World Cup home game Ruhpolding not finished.
In a turbulent race, Justus Strelow, Johannes Kühn, Doll and Philipp Nawrath secured second place and also made it onto the podium in the fourth team competition of the season. After the two extra laps and a total of seven spare rounds, the German Ski Association team only had to admit defeat to the overpowering Olympic champions Norway, 45.0 seconds behind. Italy secured third place over 4 x 7.5 kilometers.
For national coach Uros Velepec’s protégés, their first relay win since March 2021 seemed possible for a long time. But of all people, the two-time season winner Doll lost his nerve in the standing stage. Even three reloading cartridges were not enough for the Black Forest native to hit all five targets. Final runner Nawrath saved second place with a strong performance. On Wednesday the German women took third place in Ruhpolding.