Farewell with a crystal ball: Herrmann-Wick wins the sprint and the World Cup classification

Farewell with crystal ball
Herrmann-Wick wins sprint and World Cup classification

Tomorrow is the end, but today there is another reason to celebrate: Denise Herrmann-Wick says goodbye to her great biathlon career with victory. The 34-year-old wins the sprint in Oslo and with it the Sprint World Cup.

Biathlon Olympic champion Denise Herrmann-Wick rushed to the small crystal ball in the last sprint race of her career. The world champion from Oberhof was unbeatable at the World Cup final in Oslo over 7.5 kilometers and, like in 2019/20, secured victory in this discipline classification. Herrmann-Wick’s successful career ends with the mass start on Sunday (3.10 p.m. / ARD and Eurosport).

“It’s very emotional right now,” said the 34-year-old after she had reached the last goal of her successful career a day before her announced retirement. “It’s really pure pleasure.” Friends and family had cheered them on in great numbers at Holmenkollen in perfect weather. “I’m incredibly proud and happy that we can enjoy the day like this.”

Herrmann-Wick was 3.5 seconds clear of Hanna Öberg (0 penalties) of Sweden. Öberg’s compatriot Anna Magnusson (0/33.1 seconds back) was third. The race was postponed by one day due to heavy fog on Friday, but the pursuit was canceled without replacement. Julia Simon was thus the early winner of this discipline rating, and in the sprint the Frenchwoman also won the overall rating.

Janina Hettich-Walz (0/+43.7) made it into the top 10 in eighth place. Vanessa Voigt sprinted to rank 37 (0/+1:43.5 minutes behind), Hanna Kebinger (1/1:06.1 ) was 17th. The four-time junior world champion Selina Grotian (2/+1:48.3 minutes behind) and individual European champion Lisa Maria Spark (0/+2:11.0) celebrated good debuts in the World Cup with places 44 and 53 .

For Sophia Schneider, fifth in the World Championships in the sprint, the season ended prematurely. The 25-year-old misses the Oslo races as a result of her virus infection from the previous week. The reigning overall World Cup winner Marte Olsbu Röiseland (2/+1:33.6) was 31st in her home game. Like French Anais Chevalier-Bouchet, compatriot Tiril Eckhoff and Herrmann-Wick, the three-time Olympic champion ends her career on Sunday.

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