Biathlete Janina Hettich-Walz has never been on the podium before. At her premiere it was silver at the World Championships. And success robs her of sleep.
The night after the biggest success of her career, Janina Hettich-Walz could hardly sleep. “The night was very restless and I was often awake. I couldn’t really relax because I was so excited and still couldn’t believe it,” said the 27-year-old biathlete after winning silver in the individual World Championships .
Her phone literally exploded, she said on Wednesday. On the rest day for the ladies, she wanted to take the time “to answer all the messages in peace. Then I’ll go for a walk and go to the physio.”
Hettich-Walz: “We are a force to be reckoned with”
With zero mistakes, Hettich-Walz, who was born in Schramberg (Rottweil district), only had to admit defeat to the Italian Lisa Vittozzi on Tuesday and was on the podium for the first time in her career. She fulfilled a career dream “that I never knew whether I would achieve.”
A day later she slowly became more and more aware of the success, but she still couldn’t really put it into words. The first medal in Nove Mesto for the German team is immensely important. In the end it wouldn’t have mattered to her whether she or one of her teammates got it. And the critics have now been shown “that we are a force to be reckoned with.”