Podium after worst race
Doll hits back after 74th place disaster
March 2, 2024, 7:01 p.m
First a flop, then a top: Benedikt Doll experienced a rollercoaster ride at the World Cup weekend in Oslo. Just one day after the worst race of his career, he races to the podium. Even victory is a long time coming.
As he crossed the finish line, Benedikt Doll clenched his hand into a fist in euphoria, then congratulated winner Sturla Holm Lägreid with a broad grin on his face. One day after the worst World Cup race of his career, the Black Forest native made a spectacular comeback and sweetened his farewell tour with a podium finish. In the mass start he took second place in a thrilling race.
“It really stunk to me yesterday. But it’ll continue, I’m happy to look forward,” said Doll at the ZDF microphone after his third podium of the winter. The 33-year-old had only finished 74th in the individual the day before after seven errors, but now he appeared as if he had changed: “It was a different world at the shooting range, I was super focused.”
Doll even fought for his seventh World Cup victory for a long time – but two mistakes prevented him from jumping to first place. “Of course I didn’t make it any easier for myself with the last shooting, but I’m super happy with second place,” said Doll, who finished 6.4 seconds behind local hero Lägreid: “It can continue like this.”
But it wasn’t just Doll who had reason to be happy. Behind the Black Forester, Philipp Nawrath (1/+18.6 seconds) in sixth and Justus Strelow (0/+33.1) in eighth rounded off the strong German team result. “I’m very happy,” Nawrath cheered. “We had the biggest problems this winter in the mass start. We showed that we are on the right track,” said national coach Uros Velepec.
Women travel too slowly
In contrast to the men, the women had recently had no chance of placing at the top, and again the sobering running times prevented a sense of achievement. Sophia Schneider, as the best athlete in the German Ski Association (DSV), only took 18th place in the 12.5 kilometer race. “It wasn’t that easy with the conditions, even at the shooting range,” said the 26-year-old after her three mistakes: “But everyone has to cope with these conditions.”
Behind Schneider, individual silver medalist Janina Hettich-Walz (4 penalties/+1:49.5 minutes) was followed by the next German in 20th place, Johanna Puff (3/+2:21.2) finished in her fourth World Cup -Race 23rd place. Vanessa Voigt (+2:54.1) finished a weak 25th with five mistakes and had to be comforted in the finish area, Franziska Preuß is missing in Oslo due to illness.
On Sunday, at the end of the competitions at Holmenkollen, there will be the single mixed (12.45 p.m.) and the mixed relay (2.45 p.m./all ZDF and Eurosport) on the program. The German team missed out on medals in both races at the World Championships. The final two World Cup stops of the winter will take place in Soldier Hollow (USA/March 8-10) and in Canmore, Canada (March 14th to 17th).