Sandra Flunger took the Swiss program to new heights during her time in charge, but after eight years she left for a new challenge, taking her shooting expertise and team-building skills to Germany. Six months into her tenure, Flunger is excited about her youthful, talented women’s team as the 2026/27 season approaches.

“Strange not to wear red and white anymore”

Coming to a team with a daunting legacy and high expectations was, “a little bit strange at the beginning. I was with the Swiss Biathlon team for quite a long time; it felt like a family. So, it was not so easy at the beginning, but the German Federation made it really easy for me to fit in. It was a good start with the team right off; a lot of work and talks. It was absolutely strange to not wear white and red anymore!”

“Love the opportunity to improve a team”

One thing that excites Flunger is the potential of a team with younger talents like Julia Tannheimer and Selina Grotian plus veterans Janina Hettich-Walz and Vanessa Voigt. “I was excited when I saw the names and ages and knowing that I would have a period of time to work with them. I love the opportunity to improve a team, not only the youngsters but also the good, experienced athletes. I hope it works…but you never know!”

“Getting to know athletes; the trickiest thing in coaching”

Knowing the people she is working with is very important to the new coach, and crucial to success. “The most exciting thing about beginning something new is that you get to know the people. That is not done in one week. You need at least one year, a full cycle in every situation to get to know each other, not just for me and my colleagues, but also the athletes to get comfortable with us. Getting to know the athletes is the trickiest thing in coaching; how they think and how their bodies work. This process really gives me energy; a new start with new people. Every day there is a new situation where you learn something that you did not expect.”

Flunger feels the team made progress over the summer. “Some athletes made bigger steps up to now, but that does not mean you can make more steps in the next 1.5 months. We feel that the way for now is quite good. But is not clear who will compete in the World Cup. Only Voigt, Hettich-Walz and Tannheimer are pre-qualified, three spots are still open.”

On the range, “you have to take risks”

The Austrian native, known as a shooting expert, this summer focused on the “shoot fast and clean” mode that is crucial to World Cup success. “There are so many athletes who can shoot fast and clean. This is the level we have to go for. We are working on it very hard. I like action on the shooting range where you take some risks and maybe get a penalty loop, instead of standing on the mats for 40 seconds. You have to takes risks but they have to be a little bit calculated. I don’t know how it will work out in races, because in training it is much easier. Still our goal is to shoot fast and clean!”

Praise for Hettich-Walz

Flunger holds high hopes this winter for German Champs triple Gold medallist Hettich-Walz, praising her as an athlete and mother “It is really cool to see a woman with a child balancing training and motherhood while having such high ambitions. It is cool to have such role models. Her hard work is paying off. I am sure she will do some great races this winter.”

“Some podiums would be nice!”

Flunger sees her first season in Germany as one focused on improvement with podiums as a possibility. “The first year after the Olympics most of the time is a restart. For us, it is maybe a bit more of a restart because the coaching staff is new. We get to know each other better and better every day. It is really hard to define goals. We are focused on working every day to improve all the skills you need to be a good biathlete. We will see how far we get, but some podiums would be nice!”

Photos: IBU/Christian Manzoni, Nordic Focus