German biathletes Janina Hettich-Walz and Philipp Nawrath finished fourth in the Loop-One-Festival super sprint on ski rollers in Munich’s Olympiapark on Saturday, each incurring two penalty loops.
France’s Océane Michelon won the women’s race with one shooting error, followed by Sweden’s Elvira Öberg (two errors) and Anna Magnusson (one). In the men’s event, Sweden’s Martin Ponsiluoma (three errors) edged Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid (two) in a sprint finish, with France’s Éric Perrot (two), the defending champion, taking third.
Hettich-Walz and Nawrath were the top German finishers. Justus Strelow (one penalty) and Philipp Horn (three) placed fifth and sixth, respectively, while Lucas Fratzscher failed to qualify. Horn criticized the team’s performance, saying, “‘Ordentlich’ sounds bad enough, I’d say. If we’re on course for the podium the whole time, one of us has to make it. That’s frustrating.”
On the women’s side, Johanna Puff missed the final after two shooting errors left her 28th in qualifying. Julia Tannheimer (four errors) finished eighth, and Vanessa Voigt (five errors) recovered to 13th after early struggles at the range. Only the top 15 advanced to the five-lap final, featuring two shooting stages each in prone and standing positions.
The event marked the International Biathlon Union’s season opener, held on roller skis in an urban format .
