Biathlon World Cup
Corona survived: Rees is hoping for top results again
Opening winner Roman Rees is hoping for top ten placements again in the individual biathlon races at the home World Cup in Ruhpolding. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
Corona is throwing him back a little further than expected. Now biathlete Roman Rees feels fit again and wants to attack at the home races.
Rees won the individual at the season opener in Östersund in December and was the first German to win the yellow jersey since Michael Greis in December 2008.
But in Sweden he became infected with the coronavirus and then started again too soon. “In hindsight, maybe I should have gone home a week earlier and gone home to Östersund,” said Rees. Instead he started in Hochfilzen. “I could have saved myself that. I was already on the road to recovery, but not at all recovered, really flat and exhausted,” said Rees.
Rees: Just being healthy is not enough
He and the doctors had thought that he would recover more quickly. “But just being healthy isn’t enough for the World Cup. If you’re not fit, it doesn’t make sense,” said the Black Forest native.
In Östersund, after his individual victory, he only came 56th in the sprint; he then missed his pursuer due to illness. But six days later he started again in Hochfilzen, but only came in 31st and 44th. He then skipped the World Cup in Lenzerheide and took a longer break from competition. But now he has “no longer any health restrictions,” says Rees.
No matter how the season goes, his Östersund yellow jersey will have a place of honor at home. “I’m going to buy a nice frame, frame it and hang it in the hallway,” said Rees.