The German men's biathlon relay team faced disappointment at the Hochfilzen World Cup, finishing fifth and adding to their struggles as they seek their first podium of the season. The race on Sunday, December 15, 2024, featured poor shooting performances from the DSV team, which included Justus Strelow, Simon Kaiser, Danilo Riethmüller, and Philipp Nawrath, resulting in several penalties and missed opportunities.
France dominated the race, securing their second consecutive victory of the season with a time of 1:23:04, overcoming Norway by nearly 50 seconds. The German team recorded 13 spare rounds and one penalty round, landing them almost two and a half minutes behind the victors.
It was initially promising for the Germans. Strelow kicked off the relay confidently, delivering outstanding speed shooting, and managed to lead the team at the first exchange. He accurately reflected on the challenging conditions, remarking, "It was strange. Due to the new snow, the first lap was very slow. Nobody wanted to be upfront. I struggled to find my maximum speed." Despite this, Strelow changed over to Kaiser with just 20 seconds trailing the leaders.
Kaiser, competing in his World Cup debut, continued to maintain pace. He reported, "It was not easy to run. I’m satisfied with my shooting, even though the last shot was annoying." His performance included only one spare round, keeping the Germans within shouting distance of the podium.
Things began to falter with Riethmüller, who struggled at the shooting range. He accrued three spare rounds but still managed to avoid penalties, yet he relinquished the third position to Slovenia, signaling the start of the Germans' downward slide. Following his final leg, he expressed frustration: "I was very tense and couldn’t calm down. After the women’s strong race, it didn’t make it any easier. I can’t explain where my shooting performance went."
Nawrath took the baton aiming to close the gap, but faced challenges when competing against Sebastian Samuelsson from Sweden. Nawrath's efforts were hampered by another spare round, with the final shooting proving too costly for any podium hopes. "I wanted to shoot fast. Unfortunately, my first spare round didn’t work out," he lamented.
Meanwhile, France's Emilien Jacquelin capitalized on Norway’s struggles, sprinting past Vebjörn Sörum after his penalty and securing victory. Jacquelin had faced his own hurdles the previous day but remade his path with this stellar finish.
Initially, the Germans were holding on to medal contention, yet their opportunity evaporated by the time the event reached its conclusion. Missing out on the podium by just 28.6 seconds left them pondering the lessons learned. This race followed their previous fourth-place finish at the World Cup opener in Kontiolahti, indicating the persistent gap they need to address.
The outcome at Hochfilzen reflects broader challenges facing the German biathlon team as they prepare for upcoming competitions mobilizing their quest for improvement. Although they sit fifth, they face the decisive closing of the pre-Christmas racing calendar next weekend at the World Cup in Annecy-Le Grand Bornand, where they hope to find their footing.
