The Biathlon World Cup 2024 in Joyn
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Former world champion Benedikt Doll has his first chance to win a medal at the Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. The 33-year-old runner from the Black Forest leads the four-man German team for the ten kilometer race on Saturday (5:05 p.m./ARD and Eurosport). The effects of a slight cold prevented us from starting the mixed relay on Wednesday. Philipp Nawrath, Johannes Kühn and Philipp Horn will also take part in the first men's individual competition, as the German Ski Federation announced on Friday.
Doll won his first and only sprint world championship title in 2017 and is gunning for a podium spot in what could be his last world championships. However, the big favorites are coming from Norway. The defending champion is Johannes Thingnes Bö, who also leads the overall World Cup standings this season. Six Norwegians lead the rankings and Doll is in eighth place. The veteran has already won two sprints this winter, but recently had some trouble on the range.
Bayer Nawrath, 30, had already won the sprint at the start of the season in Östersund and took on the yellow jersey of the World Cup leader after the surprising first victory of his career. But he had to return it quickly.
Surprisingly, Thuringian Horn was nominated, competing in its first World Championship race in about four years. In his last sprint at the World Championships in Antholz, the now 29-year-old finished eighth in 2020. Justus Strelow, who had a good race at the start of the mixed relay (5th), and Roman Rees were not taken into account and will have to expect appearances in the rest of the World Cup until February 18.