biathlon
On the way up after Corona: Kebinger hopes for a turnaround
Still not in top shape: Hanna Kebinger. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
Hanna Kebinger has to fight again. Once again her health is set back. In the previous season she still celebrated a happy ending. She hopes for that again.
The mega experience as the final runner of the German biathlon relay and third place at the home World Cup in Ruhpolding is intended for Hanna Kebinger will be the starting signal for better times again. “I feel like I’m slowly getting more into the swing of things,” said the 26-year-old.
Things weren’t going well for the ski hunter from Garmisch-Partenkirchen this winter. After finishing 38th and 32nd at the start of the season, she became infected with the coronavirus in Östersund. Afterwards she was missing from the races in Hochfilzen and Lenzerheide.
In bed for days because of Corona
“Corona has already hit hard,” said Kebinger. She just lay in bed for nine days, “for five days I moved from the bed to the couch and then back. That drained a lot of energy.”
In Oberhof last week, only ranks 33 and 22 were achieved in the sprint and pursuit. “Until Oberhof, I noticed that my body was reacting in waves. I had days where I felt tired and weak and not at all like I wanted to do sports,” said Kebinger. Things are slowly improving, but she is still not in top shape.
Tough fight in the preseason
So far, she is a long way from the World Cup norm of top eight once or top 15 twice. Franziska Preuß, Vanessa Voigt, Janina Hettich-Walz and Sophia Schneider have them. Six women can come to the World Cup in Nove Mesto.
She wants to achieve the standard, Kebinger’s next chance of a good result is on Friday in the sprint. Maybe, like last year, half would be enough to go to the Czech Republic. Kebinger also had to fight hard in the preseason. In November 2022 she became ill while qualifying for the IBU Cup, ran anyway and then had to sit out completely for two weeks. She then started in the lower-class Germany Cup before taking a win and two second places in the second-class IBU Cup in Pokljuka.
Then the chance came at the World Cup dress rehearsal in Antholz, where she finished tenth in the pursuit and achieved half the World Cup standard and also delivered in the relay. She then won World Championship silver with the relay in Oberhof. Perhaps history could repeat itself in their case.