Leitner has to miss out

World Championship shock for Austria’s biathlon team

From next Wednesday, the medals will be awarded at the Swiss biathlon world championship premiere in Lenzerheide. And before the first competition starts, the red-white-red team has suffered its first setback: Felix Leitner will be w.o. for at least the first week! "And then I have to see . . ."  

Even the omens were anything but good: he had to cancel the preparation camp in Antholz, South Tyrol, due to a flu infection. Since it finally subsided, Felix Leitner has been slow, very slow to get going! "Slowly," admits the 28-year-old from Mils, "I can't do more than jogging and leisurely classic skiing at the moment."

And so his decision, after consultation with men's head coach Vegard Bitnes, quickly became clear: "I'm going to skip the first week of the World Championships in Lenzerheide!" No sprint, therefore no pursuit, no mixed relay - a setback for the red-white-red team too. Especially after the former junior world champion had recently found his form again in the cross-country skiing.

"I will now prepare myself as well as I can for the 20-kilometer individual and the men's relay." His disappointment is huge: "Really depressing", Leitner couldn't gloss over his feelings yesterday, "but I have to accept it and make the best of it." The Tyrolean is therefore out of the sprint, pursuit and mixed relay.