From Julia Simon’s ice-cool precision under pressure to Johan-Olav Botn’s emotional gold and Eric Perrot’s light-footed brilliance, the opening competitions delivered stories beyond the podium. Arnd Peiffer analyses the action as the Sprint and Pursuit await.

Julia Simon is a two-time Olympic gold medallist after her two competitions in Antholz-Anterselva. Both of her decisive shooting performances — as anchor in the Mixed Relay and in the Individual — were fast and marked by seamless cadence. Her particular strength at the moment lies in her ability to focus entirely on execution in decisive moments. She has deep confidence in her own ability and gives the impression that she does not doubt her capacity to deliver when it matters most. Sound shooting technique is the foundation for building such confidence. Julia operates at a very high technical level; in standing shooting in particular, she possesses a natural strength reminiscent of Tora Berger in her prime.

The “breath stop” is a key factor in fast and stable shooting. Julia demonstrates an exemplary and precise breath stop in prone shooting. In prone, the centre of the target is found through breathing, after which only the finest corrections are required. If an athlete cannot consistently pause their breath at the same point, a fast rhythm is virtually impossible. This technique must be practised thousands of times to function automatically, even under maximum distraction. Breathing is a fundamental element of clean shot execution.

On the men’s side, Eric Perrot is currently the man in form, even though he missed out on gold in the Individual. What stands out is his balance between ambition and self-confidence on the one hand, and calmness and composure on the other. He has no obvious weakness and appears mentally extraordinarily mature for his age. His skiing style is notably economical; watching him brings to mind Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in 2002.

Johan-Olav Botn won Individual gold under the most difficult circumstances — after skipping the first two weeks of competition, overcoming a virus, and mourning his late roommate Sivert Guttorm Bakken. Botn is an athlete who trains exceptionally hard. His ability to handle extremely high training volumes was likely decisive in enabling him to regain top form quickly after illness. Nothing comes easily to him — he has worked hard to build his formidable skiing strength and, this season, has also developed into a very precise shooter.

Lora Hristova’s bronze medal once again reflects Wolfgang Pichler’s influence. By his own account, he has established a fundamental structure within the training process and, at the beginning of his tenure, demanded greater professionalism — including making tough personnel decisions. These measures now appear to be bearing fruit. Pichler knows exactly how much training is required to compete at the highest level, and he has the authority to ensure his recommendations are followed.

From a German perspective, the interim assessment after the first third of the competitions is positive. In every race, the team has been involved in the fight for medals. Even though they narrowly missed out on podium finishes in the Individual events, being so close strengthens confidence. Philipp Nawrath and Vanessa Voigt are in excellent shooting form, while Janina Hettich-Walz and Philipp Horn are very convincing on the track.

Looking ahead to the Sprint and Pursuit, further strong performances can be expected. On the men’s side, Botn and Perrot remain ones to watch. Among the women, the French athletes currently set the benchmark. From a German standpoint, Philipp Horn and Philipp Nawrath are capable of achieving top results in the Sprint. It will also be interesting to see how Julia Tannheimer performs, while hopes remain high for strong results from Franziska Preuß and Janina Hettich-Walz.