The finishing area at the Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto was abuzz with well-wishers, all eager to congratulate Benedikt Doll for his bronze medal win. His teammates were amongst the first to offer their congratulations, hugging him in celebration of his achievement. This was a significant moment for Doll, who hails from the Black Forest region of Germany.
Doll expressed his immense pride at maintaining his composure on the shooting range, a feat he believes contributed significantly to his success. The 33-year-old athlete placed third in the demanding individual event. Despite a shooting error, he only conceded defeat to Johannes Thingnes Bö and Tarjei Bö, both of whom are Norwegian brothers and also had one penalty minute each.
A Much-Needed Victory for DSV
Doll’s victory came as a breath of fresh air for the German Ski Association (DSV), especially following Janina Hettich-Walz’s surprising silver medal win in the women’s event a day earlier. This marked the second World Cup individual medal of Doll’s career. He finished the 20-kilometer race 1:53.2 minutes behind the reigning champion, Johannes Thingnes Bö.
Doll was ecstatic about his performance, stating on ZDF, “Everything came together today. I’m incredibly happy that I was able to prove this to myself again,” He also noted that he approached the shooting range not with fear, but with a sense of fun and enjoyment.
Bö Secures His 19th World Cup Gold
In the meantime, Bö successfully defended his title and won his 19th World Championship gold. This was his second victory in the Czech Republic. With this win, he is just a title away from equalling the record held by Ole Einar Björndalen, the world champion.
Even a shooting error couldn’t deter Bö. His older brother Tarjei, who also made an error, was the only one who came close to his score. The Norwegian team had previously celebrated a triple victory in the sprint and a quintuple win in the chase race. Doll’s bronze medal made him the first non-Norwegian to win an individual medal in Nove Mesto.
© dpa/Hendrik Schmidt
Doll had high expectations for the season highlight following his two sprint victories. However, his performance at the World Championships was less than satisfactory, with him finishing 13th in the sprint and 16th in the pursuit. Nevertheless, with three flawless shooting performances, Doll managed to increase the competition’s pressure in the longest of all biathlon races.
Doll Faces Challenges at the Shooting Range
In the atmospheric Vysocina Arena, Doll initially took the lead. However, despite a penalty minute, Bö managed to overtake him after the third shooting. Doll made an error in the final standing stage, but as the competition also made errors, it did not significantly impact the final result.
© dpa/Hendrik Schmidt
This is the second World Cup individual medal for Doll. He won a gold medal in 2017 in Hochfilzen in a sprint event, beating the gust by just 0.7 seconds. Since then, he has had five more career victories, with the last two occurring this season in both Lenzerheide and Oberhof.
However, Doll has recently been having significant problems at the shooting range, leading to necessary adjustments. He had been using incorrect shooting techniques, and the fundamental elements were no longer fitting. He reverted to fine-tuning with the laser. However, in Nove Mesto, he made two errors in the sprint and four in the chase race.
Before this winter, which is likely his last as a professional athlete, Doll had a new weapon made. He has not yet decided whether to continue using it beyond the end of the season or focus more on time with his wife and their son. Although he has hinted at retirement multiple times, he has yet to officially announce his decision.
© REUTERS/David W Cerny
Meanwhile, Doll’s teammates had a mixed performance. Roman Rees was the second-best German, finishing in 13th place with two errors. Johannes Kühn (4) and Philipp Horn (5) took the 19th and 43rd places, respectively.
The German team has another opportunity to win a medal in the single mixed relay on Thursday (6 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport). Vanessa Voigt and Justus Strelow, who won their first World Cup victory just a month ago, are considered co-favorites due to their recent strong shooting performances.
Strelow, from Saxony, was spared for this competition, while Voigt, from Thuringia, boosted her confidence by finishing fifth in the individual event on Tuesday after hitting all 20 shots perfectly.
