World Cup in Nove Mesto
Biathlon coaches believe in team: form doesn’t go away
Believes in his team: Uros Velepec. photo
© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
The results so far are sobering. In the second week of the World Cup, the German biathletes in the Czech Republic want to show what they are actually made of.
Biathlon sports director Felix Bitterling hopes that Janina Hettich-Walz’s individual World Cup silver will give the men’s team a big motivation boost.
“We would really like to achieve a similar result with the boys,” said Bitterling after winning the longed-for first medal for the German team in Nove Mesto.
Despite the disappointing performances so far, national coach Uros Velepec believes in his team. “It’s important to me that they know that they are good and that their form won’t go away in one or two days,” said the 56-year-old Slovenian in the novel, referring to the individual today (5.20 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport). Rees, Benedikt Doll, Philipp Horn and Johannes Kühn start.
Horn protects the technical team
The DSV ski hunters traveled to the Czech Republic with high spirits after four victories and four more podium places in the individual races in the previous World Cup winter. But Doll’s 13th place in the sprint and Kühn’s 15th place in the pursuit are the best results so far – also because the material wasn’t right yet. Things finally went much better in the women’s race. There should now also be competitive material for men.
Horn defended the technical team. “Our technicians are the first to leave the hotel and the last to come home. They give it their all, really work their asses off and you can’t blame them,” said Horn. Already in the pursuit, where after the disappointing sprint it was all about improving results, the team would have shown what it was capable of. A lot is possible individually.
Filbrich: The shape fits
“We are in good shape. We start on Wednesday with the self-confidence that we know that we have been there with the Norwegians all season,” said Velepec. In the Czech Republic, the Scandinavians celebrated a triple success in the sprint and a five-fold success in the chase race.
Despite the lack of medals so far, “we have to stay relaxed and not panic. We have to attack again,” said Velepec. Discipline coach Jens Filbrich is also sure that the form is right. There is no self-doubt. “The boys are pulling together and keeping their heads up,” said the former cross-country skier.