Oberhof (from our correspondent) ‑ And she didn’t disappoint. Also in Friday’s sprint, the ambitions of the 23-year-old biathlete will be greater than during her debut…
Did you remember your debut here?
I was a junior and in the first race I didn’t expect much from myself or the others. Now I have completed more of those races and an 84th place would no longer satisfy me. I definitely want to do a better sprint than three years ago.
Back then, you cautiously eyed biathlon stars such as the Italian Dorothea Wiererová, have you gotten used to being around them now?
There weren’t enough races for me to get used to the stars or so many spectators. But when you mentioned Dorothea Wierer, when I go jogging in the morning, we meet, she always greets me, so I’m very happy that she knows who I am when we say hello every time.
Even the nervousness before the races could be less…
When I’m a terrible stressor. Before the mixed relay, I stood at the start and wished it was over. But luckily when we took off it fell off me. And now we have individual races, so it will be more on me, there will be no responsibility for the whole team.
Did over 20,000 spectators in the stands also play a role?
That’s what I felt when driving off. It’s handsome, but at the same time you feel like an animal in the circus. During the race itself, I don’t even notice if there are five people there or five thousand.
However, your performance in the mixed relay could give you peace of mind, you finished seventh.
In retrospect, I’m happy with how it turned out. Of course, I could have avoided mistakes lying down, nervousness could have played a role, and the shooting range is a bit treacherous here. But I felt really good on the track.
What would make you happy in a sprint?
If they were imaginary points (up to 40th place), I would be very pleased. Of course, the key is to get into the fighter.
How do the hilly tracks here suit your petite figure?
I really like this type of track. Hills suit me, I’m not much of a flat person, I don’t have the height or strength for them. So I’m glad that the World Championship is held on such a track, and not on a flat one like in Ruhpolding.
You only lose a little in the descents.
That’s the other side, of course I could use a few extra kilos there, especially here where the descent is flat. But when the skis are good, it’s not such a handicap.
