Advertising on our own behalf: Dresden City Biathlon a success

Even persistent rain and a chilly 12 degrees didn't stop biathlon fans from watching the majority of the world's best biathletes live. 4,000 spectators in Dresden's newly opened Heinz Steyer Stadium and several thousand on the 2.3-kilometre circuit watched good sport at the City Biathlon, held for the first time in Dresden, in which overall World Cup winner Lisa Vittozzi from Italy and Jakov Fak from Slovenia took the victories.

The invitational race with ten of the world's best athletes has been part of the preparation program for years. Held in Wiesbaden in previous years, the Saxon state capital was now the host city.

"The sport of biathlon is now where it belongs. Dresden is an ideal location, so close to the Ore Mountains and the Altenberg biathlon center," said DSV Vice President Tobias Angerer, also manager of the no longer active Olympic champion Denise Herrmann, who was once the face of the Dresden City Biathlon.

Vittozi pursued by bad luck

The athletes praised the flair and the atmosphere. "The spectators gave us an extra boost," said Vittozzi, while Johanna Puff, the best DSV athlete in the women's race in second place, emphasized: "So many fans in such weather - it did us all good and is also an incentive for the new season."

The junior gave the winner a real hard time, but she was also plagued by bad luck: a bent rifle resulted in seven reloads and a ten-second penalty, and she also broke a pole on the final lap. With a new one, she overtook Puff and won confidently. "I hope that all my bad luck for the new season is behind me now," said the Italian.

Strelow tests fast shooting

Fast local hero Justus Strelow was satisfied with third place, although more was definitely possible. But in the final sprint with winner Jakov Fak and the Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Boe, he had the worst position on the home straight and did not want to risk a fall on the wet surface.

"I think it was a good race. I shot fast. That won't happen like that in winter, I don't risk so much," said the man from Schmiedeberg. On Monday, he and the German team will start their altitude training camp in France in order to set new training incentives at the same altitude before the World Championships in Lenzerheide.