News-Archives
| News of 15th January 2004: Biathlon-WC 2005 postponed |
After an agreement of the executive committee of the International Biathlon-Union (IBU) the Biathlon World Championships 2005 will take place in Hochfilzen from the 4th to the 13th March. Originally the competitions where planned for the beginning of February. IBU-President Anders Besseberg announced this decision at the edge of the world cup in Ruhpolding: "We want to prevent an overlap with the Alpine Ski WC in Bormio and the Nordic WC in Oberstdorf. This was in the interest of the WC-organizers in Hochfilzen as well." He rejected the rumors that there has been pressure of the International Ski Federation FIS and TV stations.
Dates of the Biathlon World Cups have to be delayed
With the postponed prelude of the World Championships the single dates of the Biathlon World Cups during the season 2004/2005 will be postponed as well. On it’s meeting in Ruhpolding the executive committee of the IBU confirmed the nine organizers, to which the traditional German places Oberhof and Ruhpolding belong as well. In the current season Oberhof didn’t get a World Cup because of the upcoming World Championships from the 6th to the 15th February.
The World Cup 2004/05 will for the first time start in Haute Maurienne/France. After that the Olympic rehearsal will take place in Pregelato/Italy in December. Apart from that Pokljuka/Slovenia, Antholz, Oestersund, Oslo and Chanty Mansijsk will belong to the calendar. In the Siberian WC-place of 2003 the world cup final will take place.
Schalke wants to be the organizer of the Biathlon-WC
Already next winter the Arena AufSchalke might be appointed to be the organizer of a Biathlon-WC. Besseberg said, the congress of the IBU will decide about the fact, if there will be World Championships for mixed relays (one man and one women or two men and two women) in Warna/Bulgaria in September.
"We have already seen the success of the races on Schalke during the last two years. We even know that the athletes and the spectators in front of the TV love those competitions”, explained Besseberg. The Norwegian didn’t wanted to speculate about a possible WC-organization yet. Anyway, he said that a mixed WC outside the regular WC-program should take place on a “suitable place”.
If the German Ski Federation (DSV) should get the order to organize a mixed-WC – as said by DSV Vice President Heinz Billino – Schalke would be the first choice. “We only can negotiate about a WC, if we got the order to organize it. Anyway, we already think about Schalke”, said Billino. In Dezember 50.000 spectators saw the invitation race of the world best biathletes.
Source: http://de.sports.yahoo.com
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| News of 14th January 2004: Germany wins relay in Ruhpolding |
The German biathletes fought for a superior start-finish victory at the last relay competition before the World Championships. At the rehearsal for the WC Simone Denkinger (Gosheim), Uschi Disl (Moosham), Katrin Apel (Frankenhain) and Kati Wilhelm (Zella-Mehlis) referred the Russian World Champions quartet after 4x6 km to the second place (+1:11,0 min).
Norway finished on place three with a leeway of 1:38,8 minutes. While the first three German athletes had the best times on their rounds, superior leading Kati Wilhelm could be satisfied with the second best time behind French Corinne Niogret.
At the WC rehearsal the coach of the German national team Uwe Muessiggang experienced a calm afternoon. “That’s how I like relay competitions, fast running times, now penalty loops, no more than six spare rounds”, noticed Muessiggang. That’s exactly what his four women did during the “Compensating Relay”, because in this line up the quartet shot 6 penalties and only finished on place 5 in Finish Kontiolahti in the beginning of the season. “All four did convince today, even if Uschi Disl made the race thrilling needing three spare rounds in standing shooting. Anyway, this doesn’t mean that the relay for the WC has to look like this. In Oberhof those four will get a place in the team who are in best form”, explained Muessiggang.
In front of 12 000 enthusiastic spectators Simone Denkinger only had some problems at the start. Anyway, with two times faultless shooting she exchanged with a lead of 12 second. “I was pretty nervous before the start, as nervous as during my first world cup relay start in Oestersund”, admitted the athlete from the black forest. “During the race the nervousness reduced and downhill I even went piano so that I didn’t fall out of the curves”, said Denkinger.
Uschi Disl sought refuge in flight. “At standing shooting I got the famous sewing machine again and my knees were shaking all the time. Than I remembered Kontiolahti where I had to run 4 penalties. Anyway, everything worked out in the end, even if the dreadful audience is not a really advantage”, said the Bavarian exceptional athlete.
Being in lead by 24 seconds Katrin Apel went on her round. “During the first both competitions of the winter I was not that good. I had to made up for it”, jested the Thuringian athlete, who was really happy that she didn’t even need a spare round for the standing shooting. “Anyway, I was not the calmest today”, Apel admitted.
Kati Wilhelm finally needed one spare round per shooting. Already 100 meters in front of the finishing line she could take the German flag with all calmness: “Such a big lead can lead to carelessness as well. Anyway, it was a great feeling to cross the finishing line holding the flag in front of that scenery. That’s what I want to experience more often.”
Source: http://de.sports.yahoo.com |
| News of 7th January 2004: Liv Grete Poiree wins sprint competition in Pokljuka |
This has been a good start into the New Year for the German biathletes! At the world cup sprint competition about 7.5 km in Pokljuka/Slovenia Uschi Disl, finishing second placed, managed to leap on the victory rostrum. Winner of the first competition 2004 became Norwegian Liv Grete Poiree. She was celebrating her 15th world cup victory of her career. World cup leader Sandrine Bailly from France became third placed. Poiree and Disl, both missing the targets once, put on an exciting duel. In the end 33-years old Disl of SC Moosham, who showed a great running performance on the ski slope again, had to admit defeat with a leeway of only five seconds.
Disl was complaining about “heavy legs”. Anyway, the Olympic Champion in relay added: “The other athletes will have had the same problem. I was not that good in the beginning, in the last round it was said to struggle with oneself. This is a question of motivation – that’s what I can do really good.” After the competition on the extremely difficult ski slope at – 2 °C winner Poiree, who gave birth to her first child only one year ago, gave compliments to Disl: “She made me giving everything. I had to fight until I had crossed the finishing line.”
Anyway, the other German starters did pretty well as well. Katrin Apel on place seven and Simone Denkinger on place nine managed to get among the top ten. Martina Glagow finished 12th placed, Kati Willhelm, missing two targets, finished on place 17.
Glagow, crossing the finishing line on place 17, got a 25 seconds credit for a penalty loop she erroneously run, because a target didn’t fell down. "There were already some problems during the training session – well, the preparation works of the technicians didn’t seem to be enough”, said Muessiggang, who made a protest against the wrong decision immediately. Therefore, Glagow only had one penalty loop in the list of results in the end.
Source: http://de.sports.yahoo.com |
| News of 2nd January 2004: Impressions of the Rennsteig-Arena |
Claudia Goetze sent us some pictures from Oberhof again. They show the stadium with the mobile stands as well as the new bridge. Many thanks to Claudia for the photos!
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| News of 7th December 2003: Wilhelm and Disl on the victory rostrum |
In the 10-km pursuit competition of Kontiolahti double Olympic Champion Kati Wilhelm from Zella-Mehlis and Uschi Disl from Moosham made sure the best result of the season of the biathletes until now by reaching rostrum places two and three. The German duo just had to admit defeat to former World Champion Liv Grete Poiree from Norway, who was in lead by 1:18.5 minutes in front of Wilhelm and 1:30,3 minutes in front of Disl after crossing the finishing line after 33:57,4 minutes.
Good result for the whole team
Two days after the flop with place five in the 4x6 km relay competition the representative team of the German Ski Federation (DSV) left an excellent impression. Katrin Apel (Frankenhain) became the third best German athlete finishing on place six. World cup titleholder Martina Glagow (Mittenwald) and Simone Denkinger (Gosheim) on places 10 and 11 finished among the top athletes as well. Despite of three penalty loops Andrea could improve on place 29 and therefore got her first world cup points of the season.
Source: http://de.sports.yahoo.com |
| News of 6th December 2003: German biathletes just on place five |
After an orgy of missed targets the German biathletes just finished the first world cup relay competition in the Finish Kontiolahti on place five. Despite of altogether 23 “tickets” and six penalty loops the strong running German quartet only was in leeway by 29,4 seconds to the successful Norwegians.
Russia finished on place two in front of France and Italy. “Now we hopefully already had our worst result of the season”, Katrin Apel said tightly.
After a nearly faultless shooting and a fantastic running performance, starting runner Simone Denkinger (Gosheim) exchanged being in lead by 14 seconds. Anyway, the experienced Olympic Champions in relay, Uschi Disl (Moosham), Katrin Apel (Frankenhain) and Kati Wilhelm (Zella-Mehlis) lost their nerves. One day after her famous 3rd place in the sprint competition Uschi Disl shot four penalty loops. The other two both had to go through the 150 m long additional loop once again. “Despite of the complicated wind conditions these have been definitely too many faults. Well, the girls won’t be destroyed by this competition”, the coach of the German national team, Uwe Muessiggang, valued the worst German relay result since January 2002 in Antholz. Anyway, there the future Olympic Champions didn’t start.
Source: http://de.sports.yahoo.com |
| News of 03rd November 2003: Snowman will be the WC-mascot 2004 – we are looking for a name! |
For the snowman, the mascot of the 39th Biathlon WC, intensive preparations already started. In the company "Zwerg Nase" in Schalkau (district Sonneberg) the traditional figure of Oberhof is brought into being. “The winter-proof guy looks pretty modern, impudent and funny", said designer Nicole Marschollek-Menzner, who has created the doll out of cotton-velvet. As pattern she used drawings of designer Claudia Leyh from Meiningen.
The snowman, which will be produced in sizes of 20 and 40 centimeters, is well prepared for the World Championships 2004, which will take place from 5th –16th February in Thuringian Oberhof. Apart from wooden ski and a wooden riffle he is wearing a felt-cap and a cotton-scarf. During the WC the eight world best biathletes will get the cheerful guy at the flowers ceremony.
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the WC-mascot
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Anyway, the name of the sportive guy is still missing. The organizer should solve this problem until the end of November. Therefore, all fans are called to hand in suggestions for names until 30th November 2003 under the keyword "WC-Mascot" to: Kurverwaltung Oberhof, Crawinkler Straße 2, 98559 Oberhof or by mail: ag-tourismus@oberhof.de. A jury will choose the name. The sender of the chosen name, who will be drawn in case of some identical suggestions, will be a special WC guest of the organizer.
WC-news of 28th October 2003
100 days before the opening of the 39th Biathlon WC the preparations run on full steam. In the “Rennsteig Arena” construction works already started. The mobile stand, giving space to 5.400 spectators, has already been built up. On all levels of organization advertisings for pendulum busses, visitor tents and extensive services started. Parallel to this about 600 helpers are visiting trainings for their WC-employment. WC-villages are getting prepared at the Grenzadler as well as around the spa garden where the presentations ceremonies will take place every evening. More than 20.000 visitors are expected for every competition day.
WC-winner cups coming from Graefenroda
The 48 winner cups for the athletes on the first three places in ten WC competitions will be produced in the glass room Reuss in Graefenroda (Ilmkreis). The new sports cups from master craftsperson Herbert Reuss will be handed over to athletes during the Biathlon WC for the first time. The 43, 36 and 28 centimeters tall trophies are made of a glass ball, in which there are three biathletes in standing, lying and running positions. The leaden-crystal cover comes from the company "Arnstadt Kristall", with whom Reuss has a common patent for the cup.
Joerg Hindemith produces opening event
Joerg Hindemith, the producer of the WC-song "We are on the top" will produce the already sold out opening event on 6th February 2004 starting at 7 p.m. as well as the closing event and the daily supporting acts in the spa garden. What is waiting for the WC-spectators should stay a surprise. The opening show in the “Rennsteig Arena” will last about 75 minutes. The daily spa garden events should prepare the spectators for the presentation ceremonies in the evenings.
Source: Claudia Goetze |
| News of 22nd October 2003: Some more news from Thuringia :-) |
1. Glass room of Graefenroda introduces WC-winners cup
The glass room of master craftsperson Herbert Reuss in Graefenroda will introduce the first winner cups for the Biathlon WC 2004 to the public on
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The new cover
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(tomorrow’s) Thursday (23rd October) at 1 p.m. The patented new sports cups will be handed over during the Biathlon WC in February 2004 for the first time.
2. Parking spaces for wheelchair users during the WC
During the process of reorganization and modernization of the biathlon stadium permanent parking spaces for wheelchair users (including their companion) with good till very good view have been created as well. They have been built above start and finish, penalty loop and shooting range. Approach and departure can take place without any problem. There is even a toilet adapted to the needs of the handicapped. For all competitions listed in the timetable of the biathlon WC there are still some contingents of tickets available. If there is someone interested, please contact Paul Laue, Am Sandberg 2, 04626 Schmoelln until 31st October 2003.
3. Now Uschi Disl is on the new cover for the WC-song as well
All biathlon stars are represented on the cover for the WC-song “We are on the top” now. Uschi Disl, who was ill during the photo session in summer, was “touched up” into the picture afterwards. Producer Joerg Hindemith has nearly finished to work at the CD, which will be published just before Christmas.
Source: Claudia Goetze |
| News of 21st October 2003: News from Oberhof |
1. Building-start for mobile stands in the “Rennsteig-Arena”
The preparations for the 39th biathlon WC from 6th to 15th February 2004 in Oberhof are running at full speed. Last week the building of the mobile stand taking hold of 5.400 spectators started in the new built “Rennsteig-Arena”. Apart from the permanent installed stand, which is 105 meters wide, it will give the spectators a good view to the happenings in the stadium (start, finish, penalty loop, shooting range). Two - of the all-together four – video screens, which will be built up in the stadium, will give additional information. As during the last world cup, the mobile stand is next to the organizational building (Notice: The building works will continue until October 2003)
2. Especially for the WC 2004 – the German biathlon calendar with stars from Thuringia and Bavaria
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Andrea and Molly in the new calender-
©www.biathlon-kalender.de
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The WC-calendar 2004, which has been published by the “Winter Sports Supportive Club Rennsteig registered association” as organizer just in time before the mega event starts (6th – 15th February 2004), was not only made for confirmed biathlon fans. On twelve pages German stars like Kati Wilhelm and Sven Fischer can be looked at in large size. Apart from familiar winter photos there are some private summer pictures of stars as Andrea Henkel and Martina Glagow available. The calendar costs about 19 Euro and can be ordered in the Thuringian tourist information, in bookshops or in the Internet (www.biathlon.oberhof.de).
3. WC-fan articles: Pins, T-Shirts and Caps are the winners
Already now – long before the WC will finally start in February 2004 – the fans, especially from Germany, stock up with articles of the fan shop of the organizer. In numerous shops as well as in the Internet (www.biathlon.oberhof.de) biathlon fans can choose out of an extensive collection. The big sellers are the WC-pin, the black-read-golden cap and t-shirts in colors read and blue. The fleece-cap and caps with earmuffs are pretty popular as well, said Sandra Meyer from the Fun-Shop Collection Limbach-Oberfrohna (Saxony), which is selling the articles on behalf of the WC-organizer.
4. WC-advertisements even at Thuringian motorways
With four huge placards at the motorways A 4 and A 71 Oberhof advertises for the Biathlon World Championships 2004. The foundations for the advertising medium will be found next week, said the head of the municipal authorities, Holger Orthey of the city town council Oberhof. The placards will be built up in two weeks at latest. On the A 4 they will be located at exit Gotha as well as at motorway intersection “Erfurter Kreuz”. On the A 71 on the way to Meiningen the WC-advertisement will be built up in front of the Rennsteig-Tunnel (coming from Erfurt) as well as at exit Suhl/Zella-Mehlis.
Source: Claudia Goetze |
| News of 10th August 2003: News from Oberhof |
The biathlon arena of Oberhof has been closed on Monday for approximately three weeks because of construction work. Work on the roof of the shooting range, on the lights and on the bullet wall will continue until the end of August 2003, said Joerg Peter, who is responsible for the sporting arenas in Oberhof. Additionally floodlight and signposting should be installed. Afterwards the preparations for the big celebration party in the stadium as well as for the German Championships (18th – 21st September) will start.
Furthermore it was given notice, that the new biathlon stadium at the Oberhofer Grenzadler will be called “Rennsteig-Arena”. Last week the town councilors of Oberhof agreed unanimously on this name. The official inauguration stadium, which has been reconstructed for about 6 million Euro in 2002 and 2003, will take place on 20th September, 11.30 a.m., in between both mass start competitions of the German Championships. The stadium has been opened in 1983 on the occasion of the military games and was technically reconstructed in 1992. Today it is the most modern and one of the most beautiful stadiums of the world. It gives room to more than 20.000 spectators. In the old stadium more than 10.000 spectators could take place on the range or at the track.
(Source: Claudia Goetze) |
| News of 10th July 2003: Now the male biathletes sing the WC-song |
It is already 9 p.m. in the recording studio of the old “KiKa”-building of Erfurt. Normally big music stars as Bela B. from the rock group “Die Aerzte” or the local rocker Vicki Vomit put over the headphones here. Anyway, today some sport stars are asked for small night music: the German biathlon A-cadre. They are seven top stars of this kind of sports – therefore the song, for which they are asked to sing background vocals, is called that way as well: «We are on the Top».
This song will become the official song of the Biathlon World Championships from 6th to 15th February 2004 in Oberhof. It will have its première on 20th September, the day of the official inauguration of the stadium. Joerg Hindemith, vocalist from Erfurt, wrote that song – a catchy pop-song with English vocals. This might send Rennsteig traditionalists into a status of shock. Anyway, we want to be up-to-date on the crest – as up-to-date as our stadium is. In addition to that “alright” rhymes pretty good with “fight”… And don’t panic: apart from that everything is native in that song: The lead vocalists Joerg Hindemith and Kerstin Radtke, the co-producer Tommy Feile, the accompanying Thuringian philharmonic Gotha/Suhl and above all the background choir, which is put together of the best German biathletes. The women already sang their parts last week – now it’s the men’s turn. A welcoming variety in the week of training in Oberhof, because the training is hart. Alexander Wolf, the largest of the “A-cadre-septet”, says, what he thinks about the whole event: “The World Championships are in our own country – this is comparable to the Olympic Games!”
Now Luck, Fischer, Sendel, Gross, Wolf, Greis and Birnbacher are asked to take the microphone. Peter Sendel, guitarist and therefore accepted as expert, speaks commendatory about the first sample of the song, for which they are asked to sing background vocals: “A good song! We first feared it would sound like the football-WC-songs. Well, this song is good enough to become a catchy tune! Especially the rapper’s version is pretty powerful.” There will be three variants: the hymn, the rapper’s version to be the opener of the competitions and the “normal” song to be played on the radio. In addition to that there will be the WC-fanfare and, if everything works out as being planned, some tape-recorded studio-dialogues of the athletic background singers as well, just for fun. All together will be available around Christmas time - on a CD, which will be sold together with a booklet containing all details.
In any case the “A-cadre-septet” had to work hard and concentrated as musical formation as well, because Joerg Hindemith insists on best quality. Well, the “seven vocalists for one night” are used to this from their other chef Frank Ullrich as well. “It is really remarkable how they got used to each other in such a short time. It became much better in the end”, said Tommy Feile. Anyway, at this time it was already close to midnight…
By starting the project to produce an own WC-song, the WC organizational committee walked on new ground for Oberhof. It was said that of all offers Joerg Hindemith presented the most conclusive concept. Let’s hope that first of all the song will have success and secondly it’s title “We are on the top” will come true in February 2004. (source: www.freies-wort.de)
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| News of 4th July 2003: Female biathletes sing WC-song “We are on the top” |
Readiness for the stage, voice and staying power were shown by the best German female biathletes this week. For one day Andrea Henkel, Simone Denkinger, Katrin Apel, Kati Wilhelm, Martina Glagow and Katja Beer left their training suits in the wardrobe. Virtually on the way to the training camp in Altenberg they had a short stopover in Dresden. Uschi Disl, who had fallen ill, unfortunately was missing when the WC-song of 2004, “"We are on the top" has been recorded.
Anyway, the six teammates took her part over. Producer Joerg Hindemith was enthusiastic about the professionalism of the top athletes. “If on remembers the fact that they’ve never worked in a recording studio before, one really has to show respect”, said Hindemith. "We had much fun, it was pretty cool”, the musicians got into raptures after the common production, which took several hours. First of all, single and group pictures of the athletes were taken in black and white. They should adorn the CD cover later on. This meant: Sitting down, make up, taking pictures. After a short break it was said to enter the recording studio, where the WC-song “We are on the top” has been recorded for another 2,5 hours. Conducted and advised by Hindemith, the successful riflewomen with the fast legs made their contribution to the WC-song.
Their male colleagues will step in front of the microphone in Erfurt next week (8.7.). The “choir” of the national team should be put together of eight solo vocalists. The song will have its première during the stadium celebration in Oberhof on the 20th September. The WC-CD with Kerstin Radke as solo-vocalist will be available in the end of the year.(Source: Claudia Goetze)
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