During a biathlon in the Ochoza Forest in Nove Mesto, part of the Black Forest, there was one black target that Benedikt Doll missed. The target in question, meant for standing shooting, had a diameter of 11.5 centimeters and was located 50 meters away from the shooter. Despite its small size, it proved to be a significant challenge for Doll. Even after three attempts, the small black target, specifically the first one from the left, refused to fall. It was only on Doll’s fourth, and final, attempt that he was able to score on the stubborn target. The entire process took 19 long seconds, making it feel as if the target were stuck in the frame itself.
This incident occurred during the final shooting of a relay race on a Saturday. Doll, who is 33 years old, had the opportunity to convert the black targets into a World Championship medal. Had he managed to hit all the targets on his first attempt, just as he did with the lying pad, he would have been in a position to sprint towards the finish line alongside Norway and France for the silver and bronze medals. Unfortunately, too many seconds lapsed between Doll and the top three final runners before the last kilometers. Consequently, Doll and his teammates, Justus Strelow, Johannes Kühn, Philipp Nawrath, from the German Ski Association, ended up in fourth place, a position known for being ungrateful.
The team’s performance was as follows: Strelow handed over to Kühn without any shooting errors as part of a group of four who crossed the finish line simultaneously. However, Kühn had to reload once while lying down, and he incurred a penalty while standing, which caused him to fall behind. Nawrath, on the other hand, only needed one spare and was able to put Doll in a good position for third place. Unlike the women’s team, who won relay bronze earlier that Saturday afternoon thanks to Sophia Schneider, the men’s team left empty-handed.
The Norwegians were probably also annoyed in the end, despite winning silver in the final spurt against the French
Doll expressed disappointment at the team’s performance. He mentioned that there was a lot of potential in the last shooting, but he lacked the necessary precision at the shooting range. Despite this, he seemed to take the situation in stride, displaying a sense of humor when interviewed by a ZDF correspondent after the race. He had won a bronze medal in the individual race two days prior, marking the second time he has achieved this feat at the World Championships. However, he admitted that he was unable to replicate his individual shooting performance. He ended up shooting parallel with French competitor Quentin Fillon Maillet, who only needed one spare. Doll admitted that Maillet’s strength when shooting standing might have unsettled or impressed him.
The Norwegian team, who won silver in a final spurt against the French, were probably also frustrated. Vetle Sjastad Christiansen of Norway, known as one of the best finishers in the history of the sport, missed six shots while standing, incurred three penalties, and was a minute ahead of Sweden. Despite this, he was awarded the gold medal. Sebastian Samuelsson of Sweden outperformed Christiansen and led the Swedish team to victory as the Nove Mesto relay world champions.
As for Doll, he had stated prior to the season that he would comment on his future after the World Cup, which ended on Sunday with the two mass starts. When asked if this was his last World Cup season, he replied, “Some people are wondering. And a lot of people will get an answer to that next week.”
