22.01.2025 - Antholz gripped by biathlon fever as Olympics dress rehearsal gets under way

22.01.2025 - Antholz gripped by biathlon fever as Olympics dress rehearsal gets under way

Curtains up for Italy’s biggest winter sports event, the Biathlon World Cup in Antholz, which will get going at 2.30 pm on Thursday afternoon with the women’s sprint competition.

22.01.2025 - Antholz gripped by biathlon fever as Olympics dress rehearsal gets under way
No fewer than six events will take place between then and Sunday in front of an expected 60,000 spectators. This year’s edition of the prestigious sporting event from South Tyrol will also serve as the dress rehearsal for the Winter Olympics in February 2026, which will likewise be held in the Südtirol Arena.

The six races scheduled over these four days of competition in the Antholzertal valley will kick off with the women’s sprint along the 7.5-kilometre-long course at 2.30 pm on Thursday. The favorite is Germany’s Franziska Preuss, who is enjoying a barnstorming season and is well ahead of Lou Jeanmonnot from France and the Swede Elvira Öberg in the overall IBU World Cup standings. Preuss has made the podium in individual disciplines no fewer than eight times this World Cup winter, clearly making her the woman to beat in Antholz. However, the current holder of the Yellow Bib will have to keep a particularly close eye on Jeanmonnot, who herself has an impressive four World Cup triumphs under her belt so far this year. Öberg, meanwhile, is arriving off the back of a dominant showing in Ruhpolding, where she won the mass start race, and is also amongst the hot favorites for the sprint in Antholz. Needless to say, however, the German fans who make the pilgrimage to the “home of biathlon” in South Tyrol in their droves every year are hoping for a German victory in Antholz.

Three biathletes from South Tyrol in the mix

As well as the international favorites, the eyes of local fans will be firmly fixed on three competitors from South Tyrol in particular. 34-year-old Dorothea Wierer from Rasen impressed recently with a fourth-place finish in the Ruhpolding mass start and has her sights on the podium in Antholz. She also triumphed in the final sprint race held in the Südtirol Arena two years ago. Also eager to put in a strong performance in their home race are the two young local heroes Rebecca Passler and Hannah Auchentaller, who make up the Italian women’s team alongside Michele Carrara, Samuela Comola and Martina Trabucchi.

Friday is the turn of the men’s sprint (10 km), which likewise gets under way at 2.30 pm. The weekend promises a double delight for biathlon fans, with the women’s pursuit and men’s relay on Saturday. The World Cup in Antholz then concludes on Sunday with the women’s relay followed by the men’s pursuit.

Besides playing host to some top-level sporting performances over the coming days, the Südtirol Arena will also offer a taster of what lies in store in the 2026 Winter Olympics. And Antholz is most definitely ready for it!
 
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