Five races, no medal: The expectations of the biathletes of the German Disabled Sports Association (DSV) were disappointed at the start of the Paralympics in Pyeongchang. Of the hoped-for top positions, Andrea Eskau and Co. far away.
Flag bearer Eskau had to settle for sixth place in the race over six kilometres of the seated class. Four years ago, the 46-year-old from USC Magdeburg won gold over this distance. Anja Wicker (Stuttgart) finished ninth in the victory of the American Kendall Gretsch. Martin Fleig (Freiburg) took sixth place among the men.
Clara Klug (Munich) finished sixth among the visually impaired over six kilometres. However, the 23-year-old was unlucky that she broke her cane in a fall. Vivian Hösch (Fribourg) finished seventh. Gold went to the controversial Russian Michalina Lysowa, who was only admitted as a “Neutral Paralympic Athlete” by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for a short time.
The DBS had reacted with incomprehension and said that “we cannot understand this decision,”said national coach Ralf Rombach. According to the DBS, the three-time Paralympics winner from Sochi is suspected of manipulation. Her name appears in the McLaren report.
In the men’s standing class, Alexander Ehler (Kirchzarten) finished fifth as the best German starter. Steffen Lehmker (Clausthal-Zellerfeld) finished tenth. Visually impaired Nico Messinger (Freiburg) finished ninth.