Experts' corner: Laura Dahlmeier

Laura Dahlmeier joined the ZDF team as an expert in the second week of the BMW IBU World Championships in Nove Mesto. She is dividing her time between being around the tracks and sitting in the ZDF's office with her computer to focus on the competition data and get the whole picture of the happenings in the venue where she made her World Championships debut with the German women's relay in 2013.

French women were convincingly the best performers so far, but they arrived in Nove Mesto on the wings of continuous success in the World Cup. With men, we can’t go past Johannes Thingnes Boe. Although he wasn’t as dominant in the first two Trimesters as in the previous season, he showed what a world-class athlete he is, taking his form to another level and winning five medals in five competitions.

Many fans wondered why the Boe brothers out-skied the rest of the field - including their teammates - with a substantial margin in the Individual. It was not just the ski brand and an early bib advantage. They grew up in the southwest of Norway, where the snow is wet and heavy. Conditions in Nove Mesto mirror those in their home region - and those in Oberhof - and perhaps they feel more at ease than the rest. But as humans, we can adapt to almost any circumstances. And the Boe brothers thrive in any conditions. That, perhaps, is the key lesson from their remarkable performance.

The German team is having two very different weeks in Nove Mesto. In the first week, only Franziska Preuss seemed competitive, with two 6th-place finishes. The ski preparation didn’t match the level, demanded for the medal fights, and athletes felt heavy on the skis. But the true strength of the team is shown in the crisis. It was vital to stay optimistic and not to dwell on the mistakes. Team Germany stuck together, talked the problems through - which is never pleasant - and found a solution for the second week. The waxers found a working mix and the athletes adapted to the conditions, changing their competition strategies. The medals in the Individual from Janina Hettich-Walz and Benedikt Doll are proof of that.

Relays outlook for the final weekend: we know that the favorites are French women and Norwegian men. Germany has a realistic shot at a medal in both Relays; a Gold medal would demand a perfect day from each of the four athletes on the team.