Laura Dahlmeier slows down expectations before her start of the World Cup after a break due to illness:”I honestly don’t believe that my form will equal one hundred percent. I don’t expect miracles after the illness,”said the 24-year-old in Hochfilzen, Austria, before the races from Friday to Sunday.
For them, this is “a position finding. That means I have to get into the competition rhythm now,”added Dahlmeier, who had been missing at the World Cup opener in Östersund, Sweden. But now she is “completely healthy again”. Last weekend she had already participated in a FIS race in Seefeld.
At the World Championships in Hochfilzen in February, the seven-time World Champion made history with five titles. She had “still very good memories”, she said succinctly.
In Östersund, Dahlmeier was excellently represented by Denise Herrmann. The 28-year-old, who only changed from cross-country skiing to biathlon last year, celebrated her first two World Cup victories in sprint and pursuit.
“You could get used to that. But I am also aware that this is not an automatic runner and that I have to continue to work consistently, especially when shooting,”said Herrmann. She is “just happy that I can be in Hochfilzen. It was not clear before the first World Cup races:” In spring she was still driving to the World Cup as a spectator,”and now, a few months later, I’m standing there at the start myself”.
The German Ski Association (DSV) is sending a total of twelve athletes to the start. On Friday the women’s and men’s sprint races will take place, on Saturday the pursuit is scheduled. The relays are planned for Sunday.
Women: Laura Dahlmeier (Partenkirchen), Maren Hammerschmidt (Winterberg), Denise Herrmann (Oberwiesenthal), Franziska Hildebrand (Clausthal-Zellerfeld), Vanessa Hinz (SC Schliersee), Franziska Preuß (SC Haag)
Men: Benedikt Doll (Breitnau), Johannes Kühn (Riding in the Winkl), Erik Lesser (Frankenhain), Philipp Nawrath (Nesselwang), Arnd Peiffer (Clausthal-Zellerfeld), Simon Schempp (Uhingen)