Will Erik Lesser achieve the Olympic standard in his home stadium? Not only the biathlete is in focus on Friday from a German perspective.
In Val di Fiemme, Italy, a mixed team relay will take place for the first time in the World Cup. In Winterberg, Jacqueline Lölling and Hannah Neise are fighting for their Olympic ticket. An overview of winter sports on Friday.
Biathlon
World Cup in Oberhof:
11.30 am: Sprint 10 km, Men (ARD and Eurosport) 2.15 pm: Sprint 7.5 km, Women (ARD and Eurosport)
The first of two home World Cups for German ski hunters starts one day late. The sprint races are on the program to kick off in Oberhof, Thuringia. It should actually start this Thursday, but excessively warm temperatures and continuous rain caused a lot of problems on the Rennsteig. In the meantime, the conditions on the World Cup routes from 2023 are excellent thanks to a show of strength by the helpers. Denise Herrmann has good podium prospects in the women’s race, while the men’s competition for local hero Erik Lesser and Co. from Norway, Sweden and France is enormous.
Nordic combination
World Cup in Val di Fiemme (Italy):
10.00 a.m .: Mixed Team – ski jumping from the normal hill (Eurosport) 1.15 p.m .: Cross-country skiing relay (ARD and Eurosport)
A premiere awaits the combiners on Friday. In Val di Fiemme, Italy, a mixed team relay will take place for the first time in the World Cup. The competition is intended to give the women, who held World Cup competitions for the first time last year, additional media presence and a boost. “It’s great for the girls to be in focus with the world’s best men,” said Horst Hüttel, team manager ski jumping and Nordic combined in the German Ski Association.
Skeleton
World Cup in Winterberg:
10.00 a.m .: Men, 1st round
11.30 a.m .: men, 2nd round 2.30 p.m .: women, 1st round
4 p.m .: women, 2. Passage (ARD approx. 1 p.m. men and 3:35 p.m. women)
For the Olympic runner-up Jacqueline Lölling, her home track is about qualifying for Beijing. The Winterberger Hannah Neise still has to deliver. World champion Tina Herrmann already has the Olympic ticket in her pocket and, after finishing second at the first World Cup in the Sauerland, now wants to be on the top of the podium. In the men’s category, world champion Christopher Grotheer and also Axel Jungk are aiming for a podium again. Local hero Alexander Gassner, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first podium this winter.
Speed skating
European Single Distance Championship in Heerenveen (Netherlands):
6:55 p.m .: Team sprint, women
7.09 p.m.: Team pursuit, gentlemen
7.42 p.m.: 3000 m, women
8.42 p.m.: 1000 m, men
The five-time Olympic champion Claudia Pechstein starts over the 3000 meters in the European title fights, also on Sunday in the mass start. This is the last toughest test for the 49-year-old Berliner before her eighth Olympic Games. Sprinter Joel Dufter competes over 1000 meters. Long-distance specialist Patrick Beckert is not there. Meanwhile, the Russian top sprinters are missing out on the European Championship due to a corona outbreak in the team. The entire Russian selection has been in quarantine since arriving in the Netherlands on Tuesday.