Magdalena Neuner
Encyclopedia
Magdalena "Lena" Neuner is a German
professional biathlete
. She is the most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships
and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. At the age of 21, she became the youngest Overall World Cup winner in the history of the International Biathlon Union
(IBU). With 24 World Cup wins, Neuner is ranked all-time third for career victories on the Biathlon World Cup
tour.
Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old and won five junior world championship titles from 2004 to 2006. She made her World Cup debut in 2006 and won her first World Cup race in January 2007. One month later, she claimed three gold medals in her first appearance
at the Biathlon World Championships. In the 2007–08 season, Neuner won the Overall World Cup and once more claimed three titles at the 2008 World Championships
. After a less successful winter in 2008–09
, she participated in her first Winter Olympic Games
in 2010, winning the gold medal in both the pursuit
and the mass start
, and silver in the sprint race
. Neuner also claimed the 2009–10 Overall World Cup
title. At the 2011 World Championships
, she won three more gold medals.
As of March 2011, Neuner has won 24 World Cup races and has achieved 45 podium finishes. As part of Germany's World Cup team, she has won nine relay races and three mixed relay events. During five appearances at Biathlon World Championships, Neuner has claimed ten gold and three silver medals. In addition, she has won seven junior world championship titles. Neuner has established herself as one of the fastest cross-country skiers
in biathlon, while she has been noted for her volatile shooting performances in the standing position, often at the expense of better results.
Neuner has lived in the Bavaria
n village of Wallgau
since birth. At the age of 16, she joined the German Customs Administration
to become a member of the government-funded Customs-Ski-Team. Since winning three world championship gold medals in 2007, Neuner is one of her home country's most popular female athletes. She was named German Sportswoman of the Year
in 2007.
, the second of four children of bank clerk Paul Neuner and his wife Margit.
She has an elder brother Paul, and two younger siblings—her brother Christoph and her sister Anna. Her sister is also an aspiring biathlete who participates in junior competitions and is a member in the youth squad of the Bavarian Ski Association.
Neuner grew up in the small Bavaria
n village of Wallgau
, approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She started alpine skiing
when she was four years old and later tried various other winter sports at her hometown ski club SC Wallgau. At the age of 16, Neuner finished high school (Realschule
) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and decided to pursue a career in biathlon. Her parents were reluctant, but they eventually supported her ambition to become a professional biathlete.
(DSV), claiming the overall title in her respective age-group for four years in a row from 1999 to 2002. After finishing school, Neuner joined the German Customs Administration
in August 2003 to become a member in the government-supported Customs-Ski-Team (Zoll-Ski-Team). She officially holds the rank of Erste Zollhauptwachtmeisterin (first head customs officer), although she is a full time professional athlete with no customs obligations. One of her team mates is alpine skiing world champion Maria Höfl-Riesch.
In December 2003, Neuner won the German Cup for 17-year olds, which led to her appointment for the 2003–04 European Cup competition for juniors. With four wins at European level, Neuner qualified for the 2004 Junior/Youth World Championships in Haute Maurienne
, France, where she won the sprint and relay events, as well as silver in the pursuit. One year later at the 2005 Junior/Youth World Championships in Kontiolahti
, Finland, she claimed two silver medals (pursuit and relay), and again won the sprint discipline. With her success at junior level, Neuner at 18 years old, was considered one of Germany's biggest biathlon talents ever. Even before achieving any results at senior level, she had signed a sponsorship deal.
During the 2005–06 season, Neuner made her first appearances in the Biathlon World Cup
. Germany's women's national coach Uwe Müßiggang had already considered her for the team two years earlier, however, her parents and her hometown coaches Bernhard Kröll and Herbert Mayer were reluctant to let her start prematurely. On 13 January 2006, Neuner made her debut in the World Cup sprint race in Ruhpolding
, Germany, where she substituted for the injured Uschi Disl
. Although her first appearance ended unsuccessfully, coming in 41st place, she was appointed for nine more World Cup races for the remainder of the season.
Neuner returned as one of the favourites at the 2006 Junior/Youth World Championships in Presque Isle, Maine
, United States, where she won two more titles (pursuit and relay) in addition to a silver medal in the sprint race. She did not participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics
for the German team. At the World Cup in Kontiolahti in March 2006, Neuner achieved her first top ten finishes: she was fourth in the sprint and came in ninth in the mass start race.
While she had only competed in ten races during her first World Cup winter, Neuner became a fixture in the German team in the 2006–07 season. She proved to be one of the fastest cross-country skiers
in biathlon, and at 19 years old, regularly set the fastest course times. On 5 January 2007, Neuner won her first World Cup event, the sprint race in Oberhof
, Germany. Her victory on home soil, before a crowd of 19,000 people, received considerable media attention and put her into the national spotlight for the first time. Two days later at the pursuit race, she forgot to reload her rifle after warm-up. She was handed a new magazine during the prone shooting and managed to finish third despite a total of six shooting errors.
Neuner was scheduled to compete at the junior world championships in 2007. However, following her first World Cup win, she was instead appointed for the senior World Championships
in Antholz
, Italy. On 3 February 2007, she won gold in the sprint, beating Sweden
's Anna Carin Olofsson
by 2.3 seconds. It was her first world championship event ever and only her second victory at senior level. One day later, she also claimed the pursuit title, in spite of four shooting errors. Following a 14th place in the mass start, Neuner, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel
and Kati Wilhelm
, also won gold in the relay race on 11 February 2007. With three titles, she was the championship's most successful athlete and became the youngest triple world champion.
At the end of the season, she continued her successful run with four more World Cup wins. In March 2007, Neuner won the pursuit and mass start races at Holmenkollen
in Oslo, Norway, and she won the sprint and pursuit events at the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk
, Russia, giving her seven career World Cup wins. She ended her first complete season fourth in the Overall World Cup standings and finished second in the pursuit discipline. In the course of three months, Neuner had emerged from anonymity to become one of Germany's most popular female athletes. At the end of 2007, she had earned an estimated 1.3 million euros through sponsorship and endorsement deals.
After missing the podium at the 2007–08 season's first two World Cups, Neuner was part of Germany's winning relay team in Pokljuka
, Slovenia in December 2007. She claimed her eighth World Cup win at the mass start in Oberhof in January 2008, and later that month won the relay race in Ruhpolding with the German team. Shortly before her 21st birthday, Neuner decided to again compete at the Junior/Youth World Championships, held in Ruhpolding in January 2008—the last time she was eligible to enter. She won gold in the sprint and the pursuit, but withdrew from the individual race to prepare for the senior world championships alongside her German team mates.
Leading up to the 2008 World Championships
in Östersund
, Sweden, Neuner tried to lower expectations, stating a repeat of last year's performance would be impossible. She failed to defend her titles in the sprint and pursuit races, with shooting errors preventing better results; she finished 17th and sixth respectively. On 12 February 2008, she won the mixed relay with Sabrina Buchholz
, Andreas Birnbacher
and Michael Greis
to claim her first gold medal. Four days later, she won her second title in the mass start, beating Norway's Tora Berger
by 3.0 seconds. She had four shooting errors compared to Berger's one and skied side by side with the Norwegian for most of the last lap, in what she later described as her hardest fought victory ever. Alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, Neuner also claimed gold in the relay race on 17 February 2008. By winning three more titles, she became the youngest six-time world champion, solidifying her status as Germany's biggest biathlon star.
In the following World Cups, she won the sprint races in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and in Khanty-Mansiysk—her tenth and eleventh World Cup victories. With a second place finish in the penultimate mass start race of the season, Neuner won the 2007–08 Mass Start World Cup. At the season final in Oslo, she also claimed the season's Sprint World Cup and took over the yellow bib of the Overall World Cup leader for the first time in her career. In the last race of the season, a ninth place in the mass start ensured Neuner the 2007–08 Overall Biathlon World Cup victory. She was the youngest Overall World Cup winner since the International Biathlon Union
was established in 1993.
Neuner's preparation for the 2008–09 season
was affected by several illnesses. In the summer, she battled an intestinal fungus which forced her to pause training for seven weeks; she later attributed it to pressure of public expectations. In October 2008, she contracted influenza and in November, a bacterial infection caused her to miss two weeks of training. Subsequently, her ski speed saw a substantial drop at the start of the season. In the first four World Cups, Neuner only achieved two individual podiums; atypically courtesy of good shooting performances, not her skiing.
Following the Christmas break, her skiing times had improved. In Ruhpolding in January 2009, Neuner was part of the winning German relay team. She beat team mate Kati Wilhelm by 0.2 seconds in the Ruhpolding sprint and also won the following pursuit event, which marked her World Cup wins twelve and thirteen. Neuner again missed the podium in Antholz. She was leading the mass start by 53.6 seconds before the final shooting, in which she missed all five targets, eventually finishing sixth. This result received much public attention. She later described it as a pivotal moment in her career and called it the "total end of the world".
Neuner suffered further setbacks at the 2009 World Championships
in Pyeongchang, where she struggled with a cold and a high number of shooting errors. She finished eighth in the sprint, in which she crashed on a downhill slope, and came in eleventh in the pursuit race. She was not appointed for the individual race and could not start in the mixed relay due to her cold. On 21 February 2009, Neuner claimed silver as part Germany's women's relay team, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm. On the last day of the championships, she came in seventh in the mass start race.
At the Olympic rehearsal in Vancouver
, Canada, in March 2009, Neuner claimed the 2008–09 Individual World Cup, despite never having won a race in that discipline. She also won the Vancouver relay race with the German team, and was second in the sprint, 0.7 seconds behind Sweden's Helena Ekholm. At the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk, Neuner won the pursuit race—her 14th World Cup win. She ended the season fourth in the Overall Biathlon World Cup, which was generally considered disappointing in the media.
Neuner later revealed that due to public expectations and constant media attention, the 2008–09 season had been extremely difficult for her psychologically, and she even briefly contemplated retirement. She started working with a psychologist and cut down her media appearances as much as possible in the summer.
Neuner competed at the Summer Biathlon World Championships for the first time in September 2009 when they were held in Oberhof. She only reluctantly agreed to interrupt training and participate in the summer event, which is contested on roller ski, however she went on to win gold in all three competitions (sprint, pursuit and mixed relay). Neuner missed the first World Cup of the 2009–10 season
due to a cold in December 2009. She returned at the following races in Hochfilzen, but was still affected by her cold and finished outside the top 20. Her first podiums of the winter came in Pokljuka, finishing third in the sprint and second in the pursuit race. Thereby she secured her Olympic qualification within the German team.
Shortly before the Oberhof sprint in January 2010, Neuner injured her back during warm-up and had to withdraw. She returned in Ruhpolding where she came in third in both the sprint and the mass start race. In her first relay of the season, she dealt a blow to the German team by incurring two penalty loops, with Germany finishing fourth eventually. With some top competitors missing in Antholz at the last World Cup before the 2010 Winter Olympics
, Neuner won two events—the first individual race of her career as well as the sprint, giving her 16 career World Cup wins. She also came in second in the pursuit, which marked her seventh consecutive podium finish.
Neuner went into her first Winter Olympics in Vancouver with the declared aim of winning a gold medal. On 13 February 2010, she participated in the opening sprint
, which was contested at Whistler Olympic Park
in rainy conditions. With one shooting error, Neuner claimed the silver medal, finishing 1.5 seconds behind Slovakia
's Anastasiya Kuzmina
. She uncharacteristically lost five seconds against the unheralded Slovak on the cross-country course, which lead to speculation of inferior ski preparation in the German media. Three days later, Neuner won gold in the subsequent pursuit race
. Despite missing two targets in the standing position, she beat sprint winner Kuzmina by 12.3 seconds. In her third Olympic event, she finished tenth in the individual
. She had three shooting mistakes and said it had been difficult for her to immediately get her concentration back after winning her first gold medal. On 21 February 2010, Neuner claimed her second gold of the Games in the mass start
. After missing two targets she had been trailing by as much as 29 seconds, but she pushed the pace and a clean final standing shoot allowed her to overtake Russia's Olga Zaitseva
on the last lap. After the race Neuner made the surprising announcement not to participate in the relay
, citing mental exhaustion and her desire to give all of her team mates the chance to win a medal. Her withdrawal allowed her friend Martina Beck a start in her last Olympic Games. Neuner was Germany's most successful athlete in Vancouver and was chosen to carry the German flag at the closing ceremony
.
Following her Olympic success, Neuner continued her good form at the season's remaining three World Cups, finishing all races in the top ten. She came in second in the Kontiolahti pursuit, and third in Oslo's mass start race, which increased her World Cup lead after taking over the yellow bib in Vancouver. Neuner ended the season with her 19th World Cup win in Khanty-Mansiysk's mass start, which ensured her the 2009–10 Overall World Cup
, making her the first German woman to win the Biathlon World Cup
for a second time. She also won the pursuit and mass start discipline World Cups. In the last event of the winter, the Mixed Relay World Championship
, she won gold, alongside Simone Hauswald, Simon Schempp
and Arnd Peiffer
, to claim her seventh world title.
During the summer, Neuner admitted struggling for motivation for the upcoming season, having won every title in the sport at only 23 years old. However, she vowed to continue her career at least until the 2012 world championships in Ruhpolding. In December 2010 she suffered from a cold, missing the season's first World Cup in Östersund for the second year in a row. She started the 2010–11 season
in Hochfilzen, where she managed two seventh place finishes, and was part of the winning German relay team. At the third stop of the season in Pokljuka, she won the sprint race in spite of two shooting errors, claiming her 20th career victory.
Neuner continued the winter with mixed results in January 2011. She reached the podium in the sprints of Oberhof and Ruhpolding, coming in second and third respectively.
In the relay in Oberhof, Neuner was part of Germany's team coming in sixth place, the team's worst result since 2005. She also had her worst personal result in 13 months, finishing in 16th place in the Ruhpolding individual race, which ended her streak of 24 consecutive top ten finishes (including 15 podiums and 6 wins). At the World Cup in Antholz, Neuner again struggled with illness. She only participated in the concluding mass start, coming in 6th place.
At the World Cup stops in February in the United States, Neuner returned to good health and showed more consistency; her worst result was a 6th place finish. In Presque Isle, Maine
, she won the mixed relay as part of the German team. On week later in Fort Kent, Maine
, Neuner finished all three races on the podium. She came in third in the sprint, second in the pursuit, and claimed her 21st World Cup win in the mass start—the last race before the world championships.
At the 2011 World Championships
in Khanty-Mansiysk, Neuner won three gold and two silver medals. She claimed silver, alongside Andrea Henkel, Arnd Peiffer and Michael Greis, in the opening mixed relay
. On 5 March 2011, Neuner won the sprint race
courtesy of a clean shooting performance. She finished second in the pursuit
and fifth in the individual
subsequently. On 12 March 2011, Neuner won her second title in the mass start
despite of four shooing errors. The following day she also claimed gold in the women's relay
, together with Andrea Henkel, Miriam Gössner
and Tina Bachmann
. Running the last leg for Germany, Neuner started in fourth, 67.5 seconds off the lead, but she pulled back the entire time and moved in front on the last lap. Her five medals made her the most successful female athlete in the history of Biathlon World Championships
.
The season ended in disappointment for Neuner in Oslo. After claiming her 24th career win in the sprint, she had moved into second place in the Overall World Cup ranking. However, she again suffered from a cold and had to pull out of the penultimate race of the winter, the pursuit in which she would have started 31 seconds in front. This effectively ended her hopes of retaining the World Cup crown. She eventually finished fifth in the overall standings, having missed five of the season's 26 races.
In her first World Cup races in the 2005–06 season, Neuner achieved average course times; her best result was being fourth fastest in the pursuit race in Kontiolahti. During her first full season in 2006–07, she finished among the top three fastest skiers in 19 of her 24 races and came in fastest in seven of them. Neuner won the 2007–08 Biathlon World Cup with dominating skiing performances. She set the fastest course time in 19 of her 25 races and was second or third fastest in the remaining six. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season
, Neuner had a substantial drop in her skiing times due to a series of illnesses. However, she recovered and set the fastest course time in 14 of the remaining 18 races from January onwards. In the 2009–10 Olympic season
, Neuner again started slowly in December, but came back finishing among the top three fastest skiers in 17 of her 21 races. She had her second best winter in 2010–11
when she set the fastest or second fastest skiing time in 90% of her 21 races.
Neuner had been a fast cross-country skier from an early age. When she was eight years old, she won the first cross-country skiing competition she entered at her local ski club. At junior level, her lap times at the German Student's Cup were comparable to older or male opponents. At the age of 15, Neuner managed to set the same skiing times as her coeval male training partners. In preparation for the 2006–07 season, Neuner skied 5300 kilometres (3,293.3 mi) in training; she increased the volume to 6000 kilometres (3,728.2 mi) for the 2007–08 season. Because of her ski speed, she has often been able to compensate for one or sometimes two or three shooting errors (a penalty loop is 150 metres (164 yd) long and normally takes 21 to 26 seconds).
During three of her 24 World Cup wins (2007 World Championships
pursuit, 2008 World Championships
mass start, and 2009 Ruhpolding pursuit), Neuner skied three additional penalty loops compared to the second place finisher. In March 2008, she came in second in the Khanty-Mansiysk mass start race, despite completing five penalty loops. She also reached third place in the Oberhof pursuit in January 2007 with six missed targets. At Neuner's first World Cup victory in the individual discipline in January 2010, she compensated for a total time penalty of two minutes on the 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) cross-country course (incurred by two additional shooting errors).
As of the end of the 2010–11 season
, Neuner has a career shooting accuracy of 77%. Her career average in the prone position is 88%, while her career average in the standing position is 67%. Her shooting results in the prone position are similar to other top contenders. The standing shoot has long been her weak point and her hit percentage is well below average in the World Cup field, although it has improved considerably since 2008.
With a 78% accuracy, Neuner had solid shooting results during her 2005–06 season debut. Her average dropped to 74% in her first complete season in 2006–07. Neuner won the 2007–08 Biathlon World Cup with a shooting accuracy of 73%, which is the lowest result for an Overall World Cup winner ever and roughly ten per cent below the previous three winners' averages: Andrea Henkel
(84%), Kati Wilhelm
(87%) and Sandrine Bailly
(81%). She steadily increased her shooting percentages in the following two seasons with a 76% average in 2008–09
, and her career best results of 82% in the 2009–10 Olympic season
. In the 2010–11 season
, she set her career high in the standing position with a 75% accuracy.
Neuner's shooting performances have been a regular topic in the German media. At times she has been reluctant to discuss her shooting in interviews and has said the public's fixation on it contributes to the problem. She has insisted her difficulties in the standing position are not due to technical weaknesses but psychological, and her training results are just as good as the results of her team mates. She explained in interviews that she had developed a fear of the standing shooting over time, knowing she had to justify herself after the race if she missed. In 2008, Neuner trained with Bundeswehr
shooting coach and former large calibre world champion, Rudi Krenn, and subsequently changed her stance slightly. Since 2009, she has worked with a psychologist, primarily focusing on mental techniques to build her confidence on the shooting range. Her standing position average has improved from 60% to 75% from 2008 to 2011. Neuner has been wearing ear plugs during some of the races in order to better concentrate while shooting. The individual race, which places a high emphasis on shooting, has traditionally been her worst discipline (each shooting error results in a one minute time penalty, instead of a penalty loop).
The sprint race in Khanty-Mansiysk in March 2007 and the 2011 World Championship sprint
mark Neuner's only World Cup wins with a perfect shooting record. She also shot clean on two other occasions, the sprint in Kontiolahti in March 2006, coming in fourth place, and the Östersund sprint in December 2008, finishing third. Her worst shooting performance came in December 2008, with a total of nine shooting errors at the World Cup pursuit in Hochfilzen. Neuner's costliest shooting occurred during a mass start race in Antholz in January 2009. After 15 clean shots, she was leading by 53.6 seconds before the final shooting, in which she missed all five targets, eventually dropping to sixth place.
Neuner has lived in Wallgau, Bavaria
, Germany, a small alpine village of 1,400 people, from birth. In 2007, she bought her grandmother's house in Wallgau, where she now lives in her own flat. Neuner plays the harp
and owns an enduro
motorcycle. She has said she enjoys mountain biking
, hiking and swimming during the off-season.
Neuner had been involved in a nearly two-year relationship with Austrian
ski technician and former biathlete Franz Perwein, whom she had met during the 2006 Junior/Youth World Championships. Until the autumn of 2009, she then lived in a relationship with DSV
chief biathlon technician Björn Weisheit for 19 months. In December 2009, Neuner confirmed a romantic relationship with Josef Holzer, a school day friend from Wallgau.
in Germany. Each World Cup event is shown live on German television and the January World Cup races in Oberhof
, Ruhpolding
and Antholz
are regularly seen by over five million viewers. Following her three world championship titles in 2007, Neuner quickly became one of Germany's most popular female sport stars, often nicknamed "Gold Lena" in the media. During her first two years in the spotlight she signed several endorsement deals and claimed numerous awards. Neuner's popularity grew further with her success during the 2010 Winter Olympics
. Her second gold medal win in the Olympic mass start
was seen live by 9.75 million television viewers (a 31.5 per cent market share), the most watched programme of the Games in Germany. Her withdrawal from the Olympic relay
was one of the dominating stories of the Winter Olympics in Germany, leading to much media speculation whether pulling out had been entirely her decision. She later received the Fair Play medal of Germany's Olympic Society for setting an example of "team spirit".
Neuner won the Biathlon Award, chosen by the national coaches of the World Cup teams, for Female Athlete of the Year in both 2007 and 2008, and she was awarded the Goldener Ski (Golden Ski), the highest award of the German Ski Association
in 2007, 2008 and 2010. The Forum Nordicum, a consortium of journalists form twelve countries, named her Biathlete of the Year in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons
, beating out her male counterparts Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Emil Hegle Svendsen
respectively. Neuner was chosen as Germany's 2007 Sportswoman of the Year
by the country's sports journalists. The following years, she came in third for the 2008 award and was voted in second place in 2010. Along with all Olympic medal winners, she received the Silberne Lorbeerblatt (Silver Laurel Leaf) in 2010, the highest state decoration
for athletes in Germany. In 2011, readers of Germany's top selling newspaper Bild voted Neuner the seventh greatest German sportsperson of all time.
Neuner's interest in knitting
has often been addressed by the German media and she maintains a knitting website, which includes detailed knitting instructions and a "knitting blog". She has stated that she usually takes knitting equipment on her travels during the season and that knitting is a way for her to relax. In 2007, Neuner declined an offer to appear nude in the German edition of Playboy
. Outside of Germany, she is particularly popular in Russia, where she has a fan club
and from where she has said to receive half of her fan mail
. In 2010, Neuner appeared in an advertising campaign for a lingerie line. She explained she tried to use it in a deliberate attempt to correct her media image, after becoming irritated with her public persona of "little sweet Lena". She was an ambassador for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. and a member of the board of trustees for Munich
's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics
.
in Vancouver
, Canada, she won gold in the pursuit
and the mass start event
. She also claimed silver in the opening sprint
. After winning three medals, she decided not to participate in the concluding relay race.
. She has won thirteen medals—ten gold and three silver. At her debut during the 2007 World Championships
in Antholz
, Italy, Neuner won three titles (sprint, pursuit and relay). One year later at the 2008 World Championships
in Östersund
, Sweden, she again claimed three gold medals, winning the mass start, relay and mixed relay events. Neuner did not win a title at the 2009 World Championships
in Pyeongchang, South Korea; her best result was the silver medal in the relay event. She won her second mixed relay gold in Khanty-Mansiysk
, Russia, in 2010. At the 2011 World Championships
, she won three more titles (sprint, mass start, relay) and two silver medals (pursuit and mixed relay).
for the first time in 2007–08; she also won the sprint and mass start disciplines. She finished the 2008–09 season
fourth, winning the individual discipline that year. In the 2009–10 season
, Neuner won the overall World Cup for a second time; by winning the pursuit and mass start scores as well, she has claimed each World Cup title at least once. In 2010–11
, she won the sprint discipline for a second time and finished fifth in the season ranking.
she is ranked third behind Magdalena Forsberg
(42) and Uschi Disl
(30) for all-time career victories. In addition, she has won nine relay races and three mixed relay events as part of the German World Cup team. Neuner has often started slowly at the beginning of a winter season and has claimed only one of her individual victories before Christmas. Consequently 15 of her 36 wins came in the month of March. Geographically most of her wins occurred in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
(9) and Antholz, Italy
(5).
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center">
Relay wins (12)
No.
Date
Location
Discipline
1
11 February 2007
Antholz, Italy
(WCH)
Relay
2
16 December 2007
Pokljuka, Slovenia
Relay
3
9 January 2008
Ruhpolding, Germany
Relay
4
12 February 2008
Östersund, Sweden
(WCH)
Mixed Relay
5
17 February 2008
Östersund, Sweden (WCH)
Relay
6
21 December 2008
Hochfilzen, Austria
Relay
7
14 January 2009
Ruhpolding, Germany
Relay
8
14 March 2009
Vancouver, Canada
Relay
9
28 March 2010
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
(WCH)
Mixed Relay
10
11 December 2010
Hochfilzen, Austria
Relay
11
5 February 2011
Presque Isle, United States
Mixed Relay
12
13 March 2009
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (WCH)
Relay
, Neuner has competed in a total of 145 races at senior level, winning 36 of them (a 24.83 win percentage). She has claimed at least one win in each discipline of biathlon and has scored World Cup points in all but three of her races. Neuner has reached a total of 62 World Cup podiums (45 in individual races and 17 in team events). In addition, she has achieved 109 top ten finishes—75.17 per cent of all the races she has entered.
, France, Neuner won two titles (sprint and relay). One year later, she claimed gold in the sprint race in Kontiolahti
, Finland, and in 2006, she again won two titles (pursuit and relay) in Presque Isle, Maine
, United States. Neuner did not participate in the 2007 event. She returned to the junior world championships in 2008 when they were held in Ruhpolding
, Germany, winning two more gold medals (sprint and pursuit).
Awards
German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
professional biathlete
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
. She is the most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...
and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. At the age of 21, she became the youngest Overall World Cup winner in the history of the International Biathlon Union
International Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union, IBU, is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria.- History :The International Biathlon Union was founded on 2 July 1993...
(IBU). With 24 World Cup wins, Neuner is ranked all-time third for career victories on the Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
tour.
Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old and won five junior world championship titles from 2004 to 2006. She made her World Cup debut in 2006 and won her first World Cup race in January 2007. One month later, she claimed three gold medals in her first appearance
Biathlon World Championships 2007
The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET...
at the Biathlon World Championships. In the 2007–08 season, Neuner won the Overall World Cup and once more claimed three titles at the 2008 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2008
The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970...
. After a less successful winter in 2008–09
2008–09 Biathlon World Cup
The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
, she participated in her first Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
in 2010, winning the gold medal in both the pursuit
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's pursuit
The women's pursuit competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 16, 2010.Observers and participants reported that the race start was confused and disorganized. U.S...
and the mass start
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's mass start
The women's mass start competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 21, 2010.- Results :-External links:* , from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-20....
, and silver in the sprint race
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's sprint
The women's sprint competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 13, 2010. This competition started at 1:00 PM PST.- Results :- References :...
. Neuner also claimed the 2009–10 Overall World Cup
2009–10 Biathlon World Cup
The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia...
title. At the 2011 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2011
The 44th Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from March 3 to March 13 2011.There was a total of 11 competitions: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, and relay races for men and women, and mixed relay...
, she won three more gold medals.
As of March 2011, Neuner has won 24 World Cup races and has achieved 45 podium finishes. As part of Germany's World Cup team, she has won nine relay races and three mixed relay events. During five appearances at Biathlon World Championships, Neuner has claimed ten gold and three silver medals. In addition, she has won seven junior world championship titles. Neuner has established herself as one of the fastest cross-country skiers
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
in biathlon, while she has been noted for her volatile shooting performances in the standing position, often at the expense of better results.
Neuner has lived in the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n village of Wallgau
Wallgau
Wallgau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany.- Growth :- Demographics :- Notable people :* Magdalena Neuner, ten-time biathlon world champion, Olympic champion, Biathlon World Cup winner- External links :...
since birth. At the age of 16, she joined the German Customs Administration
Bundeszollverwaltung
The Bundeszollverwaltung is an executive and fiscal administrative unit of the German government and part of the Federal Ministry of Finance. It was founded in 1949 in West Germany...
to become a member of the government-funded Customs-Ski-Team. Since winning three world championship gold medals in 2007, Neuner is one of her home country's most popular female athletes. She was named German Sportswoman of the Year
German Sportspersonality of the year
The German Sportspersonality of the Year is chosen annually since 1947, for both men and women. The recordholder is tennis player Steffi Graf . Swimmer Michael Groß, tennis player Boris Becker, and high jumper Ulrike Meyfarth each have four awards...
in 2007.
Early life
Magdalena Neuner was born in the German alpine resort town of Garmisch-PartenkirchenGarmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, the second of four children of bank clerk Paul Neuner and his wife Margit.
She has an elder brother Paul, and two younger siblings—her brother Christoph and her sister Anna. Her sister is also an aspiring biathlete who participates in junior competitions and is a member in the youth squad of the Bavarian Ski Association.
Neuner grew up in the small Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n village of Wallgau
Wallgau
Wallgau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany.- Growth :- Demographics :- Notable people :* Magdalena Neuner, ten-time biathlon world champion, Olympic champion, Biathlon World Cup winner- External links :...
, approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She started alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
when she was four years old and later tried various other winter sports at her hometown ski club SC Wallgau. At the age of 16, Neuner finished high school (Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and decided to pursue a career in biathlon. Her parents were reluctant, but they eventually supported her ambition to become a professional biathlete.
Early career and World Cup debut
Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old after she had participated in a try out course at her local ski club. She won 29 races at the biathlon Student's Cup of the German Ski AssociationGerman Ski Association
The German Ski Association is the national governing body for skiing in Germany. The organisation was founded in 1905 among local ski clubs. The DSV headquarters are located in Planegg, south of Munich...
(DSV), claiming the overall title in her respective age-group for four years in a row from 1999 to 2002. After finishing school, Neuner joined the German Customs Administration
Bundeszollverwaltung
The Bundeszollverwaltung is an executive and fiscal administrative unit of the German government and part of the Federal Ministry of Finance. It was founded in 1949 in West Germany...
in August 2003 to become a member in the government-supported Customs-Ski-Team (Zoll-Ski-Team). She officially holds the rank of Erste Zollhauptwachtmeisterin (first head customs officer), although she is a full time professional athlete with no customs obligations. One of her team mates is alpine skiing world champion Maria Höfl-Riesch.
In December 2003, Neuner won the German Cup for 17-year olds, which led to her appointment for the 2003–04 European Cup competition for juniors. With four wins at European level, Neuner qualified for the 2004 Junior/Youth World Championships in Haute Maurienne
Maurienne
Maurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...
, France, where she won the sprint and relay events, as well as silver in the pursuit. One year later at the 2005 Junior/Youth World Championships in Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
, Finland, she claimed two silver medals (pursuit and relay), and again won the sprint discipline. With her success at junior level, Neuner at 18 years old, was considered one of Germany's biggest biathlon talents ever. Even before achieving any results at senior level, she had signed a sponsorship deal.
| 2005–06 World Cup season results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | World Cup location | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | ||
| 5 | Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
– | 41 | 21 | – | DNS | ||
| 6 | Antholz, Italy Rasen-Antholz Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:... |
– | 19 | 11 | DNS | – | ||
 |
Turin, Italy Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... |
Not nominated | ||||||
| 7 | Pokljuka, Slovenia Pokljuka Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park... |
– | DNS | DNS | – | – | ||
| 8 | Kontiolahti, Finland Kontiolahti Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .... |
– | 4 | 20 | 9 | – | ||
| 9 | Oslo, Norway | – | 18 | 13 | 25 | – | ||
| Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start | ||||||||
During the 2005–06 season, Neuner made her first appearances in the Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
. Germany's women's national coach Uwe Müßiggang had already considered her for the team two years earlier, however, her parents and her hometown coaches Bernhard Kröll and Herbert Mayer were reluctant to let her start prematurely. On 13 January 2006, Neuner made her debut in the World Cup sprint race in Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....
, Germany, where she substituted for the injured Uschi Disl
Uschi Disl
Ursula Disl is a former German biathlete. , . She resides with her Swedish boyfriend Tomas Söderberg in Austria, and like most German Nordic skiers, is in the military as a border patrol guard...
. Although her first appearance ended unsuccessfully, coming in 41st place, she was appointed for nine more World Cup races for the remainder of the season.
Neuner returned as one of the favourites at the 2006 Junior/Youth World Championships in Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census...
, United States, where she won two more titles (pursuit and relay) in addition to a silver medal in the sprint race. She did not participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
for the German team. At the World Cup in Kontiolahti in March 2006, Neuner achieved her first top ten finishes: she was fourth in the sprint and came in ninth in the mass start race.
Three world championship titles (2006–07 season)
| 2006–07 World Cup season results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | World Cup location | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed relay | |
| 1 | Östersund, Sweden Östersund Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the... |
33 | 15 | 7 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Hochfilzen, Austria Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing... |
– | 27 | 8 | – | 2 | – | |
| 3 | Hochfilzen, Austria Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing... |
DNS | 9 | – | – | DNS | – | |
| 4 | Oberhof, Germany Oberhof, Germany Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year... |
– | 1 | 3 | – | DNS | – | |
| 5 | Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
– | 16 | – | 15 | 2 | – | |
| 6 | Pokljuka, Slovenia Pokljuka Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park... |
– | 10 | 9 | DNS | – | – | |
| WCH Biathlon World Championships 2007 The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET... |
Antholz, Italy Rasen-Antholz Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:... |
DNS | 1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | DNS | |
| 7 | Lahti, Finland Lahti Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki... |
6 | 24 | 40 | – | – | – | |
| 8 | Oslo, Norway | – | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – | |
| 9 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°... |
– | 1 | 1 | 8 | – | – | |
| Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start; WCH—World Championships | ||||||||
While she had only competed in ten races during her first World Cup winter, Neuner became a fixture in the German team in the 2006–07 season. She proved to be one of the fastest cross-country skiers
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
in biathlon, and at 19 years old, regularly set the fastest course times. On 5 January 2007, Neuner won her first World Cup event, the sprint race in Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...
, Germany. Her victory on home soil, before a crowd of 19,000 people, received considerable media attention and put her into the national spotlight for the first time. Two days later at the pursuit race, she forgot to reload her rifle after warm-up. She was handed a new magazine during the prone shooting and managed to finish third despite a total of six shooting errors.
Neuner was scheduled to compete at the junior world championships in 2007. However, following her first World Cup win, she was instead appointed for the senior World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2007
The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET...
in Antholz
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...
, Italy. On 3 February 2007, she won gold in the sprint, beating Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's Anna Carin Olofsson
Anna Carin Olofsson
Anna Carin Zidek is a Swedish former biathlete who won a silver medal in the 7.5 km sprint and a gold medal in the 12.5 km mass start event at the 2006 Winter Olympics...
by 2.3 seconds. It was her first world championship event ever and only her second victory at senior level. One day later, she also claimed the pursuit title, in spite of four shooting errors. Following a 14th place in the mass start, Neuner, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel is a German biathlete and the younger sister of Manuela Henkel, a successful cross-country skier. She trains at SV Großbreitenbach...
and Kati Wilhelm
Kati Wilhelm
Kati Wilhelm is a German former professional biathlete. Like most German biathletes she is also a member of the German Armed Forces with the rank of master sergeant...
, also won gold in the relay race on 11 February 2007. With three titles, she was the championship's most successful athlete and became the youngest triple world champion.
At the end of the season, she continued her successful run with four more World Cup wins. In March 2007, Neuner won the pursuit and mass start races at Holmenkollen
Holmenkollen ski jump
Holmenkollbakken is a large ski jumping hill located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It has a hill size of HS134, a construction point of K-120, and a capacity for 30,000 spectators. Holmenkollen has hosted the Holmenkollen Ski Festival since 1892, which since 1980 have been part of the FIS Ski...
in Oslo, Norway, and she won the sprint and pursuit events at the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...
, Russia, giving her seven career World Cup wins. She ended her first complete season fourth in the Overall World Cup standings and finished second in the pursuit discipline. In the course of three months, Neuner had emerged from anonymity to become one of Germany's most popular female athletes. At the end of 2007, she had earned an estimated 1.3 million euros through sponsorship and endorsement deals.
Overall World Cup winner (2007–08 season)
| 2007–08 World Cup season results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | World Cup location | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed relay | |
| 1 | Kontiolahti, Finland Kontiolahti Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .... |
30 | 7 | 17 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Hochfilzen, Austria Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing... |
– | 12 | 4 | – | DNS | – | |
| 3 | Pokljuka, Slovenia Pokljuka Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park... |
7 | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | |
| 4 | Oberhof, Germany Oberhof, Germany Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year... |
– | 3 | – | 1 | DNS | – | |
| 5 | Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
– | 11 | 16 | – | 1 | – | |
| 6 | Antholz, Italy Rasen-Antholz Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:... |
– | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | – | |
| WCH Biathlon World Championships 2008 The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970... |
Östersund, Sweden Östersund Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the... |
DNS | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Pyeongchang, South Korea | – | 1 | 6 | – | – | – | |
| 8 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°... |
– | 1 | 5 | 2 | – | – | |
| 9 | Oslo, Norway | – | 7 | 7 | 9 | – | – | |
| Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start; WCH—World Championships | ||||||||
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...
, Slovenia in December 2007. She claimed her eighth World Cup win at the mass start in Oberhof in January 2008, and later that month won the relay race in Ruhpolding with the German team. Shortly before her 21st birthday, Neuner decided to again compete at the Junior/Youth World Championships, held in Ruhpolding in January 2008—the last time she was eligible to enter. She won gold in the sprint and the pursuit, but withdrew from the individual race to prepare for the senior world championships alongside her German team mates.
Leading up to the 2008 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2008
The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970...
in Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
, Sweden, Neuner tried to lower expectations, stating a repeat of last year's performance would be impossible. She failed to defend her titles in the sprint and pursuit races, with shooting errors preventing better results; she finished 17th and sixth respectively. On 12 February 2008, she won the mixed relay with Sabrina Buchholz
Sabrina Buchholz
Sabrina Buchholz is a German biathlete.-Career highlights:IBU World ChampionshipsIBU World Junior ChampionshipsSabrina Buchholz is a German biathlete.-Career highlights:...
, Andreas Birnbacher
Andreas Birnbacher
Andreas Birnbacher is a German biathlete. His biggest successes were the silver medal in the mass start event at the 2007 world championships and the gold medal in the mixed relay at the 2008 world championships.-External links:*...
and Michael Greis
Michael Greis
Michael Greis is a German triple Olympic gold medalist in biathlon.Greis first competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 15th and 16th in the 10 km sprint and 12.5 km pursuit events in the biathlon.Greis won the World Cup in the individual category in 2004/05, and...
to claim her first gold medal. Four days later, she won her second title in the mass start, beating Norway's Tora Berger
Tora Berger
Tora Berger is a World Cup level biathlete and Olympic Champion. She has been a member of the Norwegian women's biathlon team since 1999. She has 5 individual victories in the World Cup. She is the sister of biathlete and cross-country skier Lars Berger...
by 3.0 seconds. She had four shooting errors compared to Berger's one and skied side by side with the Norwegian for most of the last lap, in what she later described as her hardest fought victory ever. Alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, Neuner also claimed gold in the relay race on 17 February 2008. By winning three more titles, she became the youngest six-time world champion, solidifying her status as Germany's biggest biathlon star.
In the following World Cups, she won the sprint races in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and in Khanty-Mansiysk—her tenth and eleventh World Cup victories. With a second place finish in the penultimate mass start race of the season, Neuner won the 2007–08 Mass Start World Cup. At the season final in Oslo, she also claimed the season's Sprint World Cup and took over the yellow bib of the Overall World Cup leader for the first time in her career. In the last race of the season, a ninth place in the mass start ensured Neuner the 2007–08 Overall Biathlon World Cup victory. She was the youngest Overall World Cup winner since the International Biathlon Union
International Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union, IBU, is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria.- History :The International Biathlon Union was founded on 2 July 1993...
was established in 1993.
First setbacks (2008–09 season)
| 2008–09 World Cup season 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... results |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | World Cup location | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed relay | |
| 1 | Östersund, Sweden Östersund Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the... |
3 | 3 | 17 | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Hochfilzen, Austria Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing... |
– | 19 | 27 | – | DNS | – | |
| 3 | Hochfilzen, Austria Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing... |
6 | 5 | – | – | 1 | – | |
| 4 | Oberhof, Germany Oberhof, Germany Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year... |
– | 11 | – | 4 | DNS | – | |
| 5 | Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
– | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | |
| 6 | Antholz, Italy Rasen-Antholz Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:... |
– | 14 | 8 | 6 | – | – | |
| WCH Biathlon World Championships 2009 The 43rd Biathlon World Championships were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 13 to February 22, 2009. It was the first time that the Biathlon World Championships were held in Asia .... |
Pyeongchang, South Korea | DNS | 8 | 11 | 7 | 2 | DNS | |
| 7 | Vancouver, Canada Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... |
4 | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | |
| 8 | Trondheim, Norway Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of... |
– | 25 | 18 | 14 | – | – | |
| 9 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°... |
– | 4 | 1 | 12 | – | – | |
| Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start; WCH—World Championships | ||||||||
Neuner's preparation for the 2008–09 season
2008–09 Biathlon World Cup
The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
was affected by several illnesses. In the summer, she battled an intestinal fungus which forced her to pause training for seven weeks; she later attributed it to pressure of public expectations. In October 2008, she contracted influenza and in November, a bacterial infection caused her to miss two weeks of training. Subsequently, her ski speed saw a substantial drop at the start of the season. In the first four World Cups, Neuner only achieved two individual podiums; atypically courtesy of good shooting performances, not her skiing.
Neuner suffered further setbacks at the 2009 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2009
The 43rd Biathlon World Championships were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 13 to February 22, 2009. It was the first time that the Biathlon World Championships were held in Asia ....
in Pyeongchang, where she struggled with a cold and a high number of shooting errors. She finished eighth in the sprint, in which she crashed on a downhill slope, and came in eleventh in the pursuit race. She was not appointed for the individual race and could not start in the mixed relay due to her cold. On 21 February 2009, Neuner claimed silver as part Germany's women's relay team, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm. On the last day of the championships, she came in seventh in the mass start race.
At the Olympic rehearsal in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada, in March 2009, Neuner claimed the 2008–09 Individual World Cup, despite never having won a race in that discipline. She also won the Vancouver relay race with the German team, and was second in the sprint, 0.7 seconds behind Sweden's Helena Ekholm. At the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk, Neuner won the pursuit race—her 14th World Cup win. She ended the season fourth in the Overall Biathlon World Cup, which was generally considered disappointing in the media.
Neuner later revealed that due to public expectations and constant media attention, the 2008–09 season had been extremely difficult for her psychologically, and she even briefly contemplated retirement. She started working with a psychologist and cut down her media appearances as much as possible in the summer.
Double Olympic champion (2009–10 season)
| 2009–10 World Cup season 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia... results |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | World Cup location | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed relay | |
| 1 | Östersund, Sweden Östersund Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the... |
DNS | DNS | – | – | DNS | – | |
| 2 | Hochfilzen, Austria Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing... |
– | 29 | 28 | – | DNS | – | |
| 3 | Pokljuka, Slovenia Pokljuka Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park... |
18 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | |
| 4 | Oberhof, Germany Oberhof, Germany Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year... |
– | DNS | – | DNS | DNS | – | |
| 5 | Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
– | 3 | – | 3 | 4 | – | |
| 6 | Antholz, Italy Rasen-Antholz Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:... |
1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | |
| |
Vancouver, Canada Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... |
10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | DNS | – | |
| 7 | Kontiolahti, Finland Kontiolahti Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .... |
– | 5 | 2 | – | – | 2 | |
| 8 | Oslo, Norway | – | 6 | 8 | 3 | – | – | |
| 9 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°... |
– | 8 | – | 1 | – | 1 | |
| Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start | ||||||||
Neuner competed at the Summer Biathlon World Championships for the first time in September 2009 when they were held in Oberhof. She only reluctantly agreed to interrupt training and participate in the summer event, which is contested on roller ski, however she went on to win gold in all three competitions (sprint, pursuit and mixed relay). Neuner missed the first World Cup of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Biathlon World Cup
The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia...
due to a cold in December 2009. She returned at the following races in Hochfilzen, but was still affected by her cold and finished outside the top 20. Her first podiums of the winter came in Pokljuka, finishing third in the sprint and second in the pursuit race. Thereby she secured her Olympic qualification within the German team.
Shortly before the Oberhof sprint in January 2010, Neuner injured her back during warm-up and had to withdraw. She returned in Ruhpolding where she came in third in both the sprint and the mass start race. In her first relay of the season, she dealt a blow to the German team by incurring two penalty loops, with Germany finishing fourth eventually. With some top competitors missing in Antholz at the last World Cup before the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, Neuner won two events—the first individual race of her career as well as the sprint, giving her 16 career World Cup wins. She also came in second in the pursuit, which marked her seventh consecutive podium finish.
Neuner went into her first Winter Olympics in Vancouver with the declared aim of winning a gold medal. On 13 February 2010, she participated in the opening sprint
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's sprint
The women's sprint competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 13, 2010. This competition started at 1:00 PM PST.- Results :- References :...
, which was contested at Whistler Olympic Park
Whistler Olympic Park
The Whistler Olympic Park is the location of the Nordic events facilities for the 2010 Winter Olympics and is located in the Madeley Creek basin in the Callaghan Valley, west of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The facility hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, nordic combined, and ski...
in rainy conditions. With one shooting error, Neuner claimed the silver medal, finishing 1.5 seconds behind Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
's Anastasiya Kuzmina
Anastasiya Kuzmina
Anastasiya Vladimirovna Kuzmina born Anastasiya Vladimirovna Shipulina is a Russian-born Slovak biathlete. She won the silver medal in 2009 Biathlon World Championships in Pyeongchang mass start and a gold medal in the 7.5 km sprint at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada...
. She uncharacteristically lost five seconds against the unheralded Slovak on the cross-country course, which lead to speculation of inferior ski preparation in the German media. Three days later, Neuner won gold in the subsequent pursuit race
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's pursuit
The women's pursuit competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 16, 2010.Observers and participants reported that the race start was confused and disorganized. U.S...
. Despite missing two targets in the standing position, she beat sprint winner Kuzmina by 12.3 seconds. In her third Olympic event, she finished tenth in the individual
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's individual
The women's individual competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 18, 2010.- Results :-External links:*, from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-17....
. She had three shooting mistakes and said it had been difficult for her to immediately get her concentration back after winning her first gold medal. On 21 February 2010, Neuner claimed her second gold of the Games in the mass start
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's mass start
The women's mass start competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 21, 2010.- Results :-External links:* , from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-20....
. After missing two targets she had been trailing by as much as 29 seconds, but she pushed the pace and a clean final standing shoot allowed her to overtake Russia's Olga Zaitseva
Olga Zaitseva
Olga Alekseyevna Zaitseva is a Russian biathlete. She began her career in 1994.-Career:*Winter Olympics*2010 - gold medal in the relay, silver medal in the 12.5 km mass start*2006 - gold medal in the relay...
on the last lap. After the race Neuner made the surprising announcement not to participate in the relay
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's relay
The women's relay competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 23, 2010.. The format was four relays of 6 km, with two shoots for each, one lying and one standing.- Results :...
, citing mental exhaustion and her desire to give all of her team mates the chance to win a medal. Her withdrawal allowed her friend Martina Beck a start in her last Olympic Games. Neuner was Germany's most successful athlete in Vancouver and was chosen to carry the German flag at the closing ceremony
2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony
The Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics took place on February 28, 2010, beginning at 5:30 pm PST at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
.
Following her Olympic success, Neuner continued her good form at the season's remaining three World Cups, finishing all races in the top ten. She came in second in the Kontiolahti pursuit, and third in Oslo's mass start race, which increased her World Cup lead after taking over the yellow bib in Vancouver. Neuner ended the season with her 19th World Cup win in Khanty-Mansiysk's mass start, which ensured her the 2009–10 Overall World Cup
2009–10 Biathlon World Cup – Overall Women
- 2008–09 Top 3 Standings :-Events summary:-Standings:...
, making her the first German woman to win the Biathlon World Cup
Biathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
for a second time. She also won the pursuit and mass start discipline World Cups. In the last event of the winter, the Mixed Relay World Championship
Biathlon World Championships 2010
The Mixed Relay Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia on March 28, 2010. As for the rules of biathlon in the year of the Winter Olympic Games World Championships being played only in disciplines not included in the Olympic program, therefore the championship consists only...
, she won gold, alongside Simone Hauswald, Simon Schempp
Simon Schempp
Simon Schempp is a German biathlete. In 2009, he ran his first single World Cup Race. He competed for Germany at the 2010 Winter Olympics, finishing fifth.-Career highlights:IBU World ChampionshipsWorld Cup...
and Arnd Peiffer
Arnd Peiffer
Arnd Peiffer is a German biathlete. In 2008, he ran his first single World Cup Race, and the at the end of the same season he retrieved his first world cup victory.-Career highlights:IBU World Championships...
, to claim her seventh world title.
Record world champion (2010–11 season)
| 2010–11 World Cup season 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... results |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | World Cup location | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed relay | |
| 1 | Östersund, Sweden Östersund Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the... |
DNS | DNS | DNS | – | – | – | |
| 2 | Hochfilzen, Austria Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing... |
– | 7 | 7 | – | 1 | – | |
| 3 | Pokljuka, Slovenia Pokljuka Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park... |
8 | 1 | – | – | – | DNS | |
| 4 | Oberhof, Germany Oberhof, Germany Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year... |
– | 2 | – | 9 | 6 | – | |
| 5 | Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
16 | 3 | – | 8 | – | – | |
| 6 | Antholz, Italy Rasen-Antholz Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:... |
– | DNS | – | 6 | DNS | – | |
| 7 | Presque Isle, United States Presque Isle, Maine Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census... |
– | 6 | 4 | – | – | 1 | |
| 8 | Fort Kent, United States Fort Kent, Maine Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,097 in the 2010 census. Fort Kent is home to an Olympic biathlete training center, an annual CAN-AM dogsled race, and the Fort Kent Blockhouse, built in reaction to the Aroostook War and in modern times designated... |
– | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | |
| WCH Biathlon World Championships 2011 The 44th Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from March 3 to March 13 2011.There was a total of 11 competitions: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, and relay races for men and women, and mixed relay... |
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°... |
5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 9 | Oslo, Norway | – | 1 | DNS | 6 | – | – | |
| Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start; WCH—World Championships | ||||||||
During the summer, Neuner admitted struggling for motivation for the upcoming season, having won every title in the sport at only 23 years old. However, she vowed to continue her career at least until the 2012 world championships in Ruhpolding. In December 2010 she suffered from a cold, missing the season's first World Cup in Östersund for the second year in a row. She started the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Biathlon World Cup
The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
in Hochfilzen, where she managed two seventh place finishes, and was part of the winning German relay team. At the third stop of the season in Pokljuka, she won the sprint race in spite of two shooting errors, claiming her 20th career victory.
Neuner continued the winter with mixed results in January 2011. She reached the podium in the sprints of Oberhof and Ruhpolding, coming in second and third respectively.
In the relay in Oberhof, Neuner was part of Germany's team coming in sixth place, the team's worst result since 2005. She also had her worst personal result in 13 months, finishing in 16th place in the Ruhpolding individual race, which ended her streak of 24 consecutive top ten finishes (including 15 podiums and 6 wins). At the World Cup in Antholz, Neuner again struggled with illness. She only participated in the concluding mass start, coming in 6th place.
At the World Cup stops in February in the United States, Neuner returned to good health and showed more consistency; her worst result was a 6th place finish. In Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census...
, she won the mixed relay as part of the German team. On week later in Fort Kent, Maine
Fort Kent, Maine
Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,097 in the 2010 census. Fort Kent is home to an Olympic biathlete training center, an annual CAN-AM dogsled race, and the Fort Kent Blockhouse, built in reaction to the Aroostook War and in modern times designated...
, Neuner finished all three races on the podium. She came in third in the sprint, second in the pursuit, and claimed her 21st World Cup win in the mass start—the last race before the world championships.
At the 2011 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2011
The 44th Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from March 3 to March 13 2011.There was a total of 11 competitions: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, and relay races for men and women, and mixed relay...
in Khanty-Mansiysk, Neuner won three gold and two silver medals. She claimed silver, alongside Andrea Henkel, Arnd Peiffer and Michael Greis, in the opening mixed relay
Biathlon World Championships 2011 – Mixed relay
The Mixed relay of the Biathlon World Championships 2011 was held on March 3, 2011 at 16:30 local time. 26 nations participated. The two participating women athletes raced over 2 x 6 km, while the men's distance was 2 x 7.5 km.-Results:...
. On 5 March 2011, Neuner won the sprint race
Biathlon World Championships 2011 – Women's sprint
The women's sprint competition of the Biathlon World Championships 2011 was held on March 5, 2011 at 18:00 local time. 103 athletes participated.- Results :...
courtesy of a clean shooting performance. She finished second in the pursuit
Biathlon World Championships 2011 – Women's pursuit
The women's pursuit competition of the Biathlon World Championships 2011 was held on March 6, 2011 at 16:30 local time. The best 60 athletes from the sprint participated.- Results :...
and fifth in the individual
Biathlon World Championships 2011 – Women's individual
The women's individual competition of the Biathlon World Championships 2011 was held on March 9, 2011 at 17:15 local time.- Results :...
subsequently. On 12 March 2011, Neuner won her second title in the mass start
Biathlon World Championships 2011 – Women's mass start
The women's mass start competition of the Biathlon World Championships 2011 was held on March 12, 2011 at 12:30 local time.- Results :...
despite of four shooing errors. The following day she also claimed gold in the women's relay
Biathlon World Championships 2011 – Women's relay
The Women's relay of the Biathlon World Championships 2011 was held on March 13 2011 at 15:00. 20 nations will participate.-Results:...
, together with Andrea Henkel, Miriam Gössner
Miriam Gössner
Miriam Gössner is a German-Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier. Noted for her fast skiing performances, she won two junior world championship titles in biathlon in 2008 and 2009...
and Tina Bachmann
Tina Bachmann
Tina Bachmann is a German professional biathlete.At the World Championships 2011 in Khanty-Mansiysk Bachmann won silver in 15 km Individual and gold with the women's team in the 4 x 6 km Relay race.-External links:...
. Running the last leg for Germany, Neuner started in fourth, 67.5 seconds off the lead, but she pulled back the entire time and moved in front on the last lap. Her five medals made her the most successful female athlete in the history of Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...
.
The season ended in disappointment for Neuner in Oslo. After claiming her 24th career win in the sprint, she had moved into second place in the Overall World Cup ranking. However, she again suffered from a cold and had to pull out of the penultimate race of the winter, the pursuit in which she would have started 31 seconds in front. This effectively ended her hopes of retaining the World Cup crown. She eventually finished fifth in the overall standings, having missed five of the season's 26 races.
Skiing
Neuner is one of the fastest female cross-country skiers in biathlon. During 61 of her 126 World Cup races (48%), she has set the fastest course time (race time without time spent at the shooting range or in the penalty loop). In addition, she has been among the top three fastest skiers in 78% of her career races.In her first World Cup races in the 2005–06 season, Neuner achieved average course times; her best result was being fourth fastest in the pursuit race in Kontiolahti. During her first full season in 2006–07, she finished among the top three fastest skiers in 19 of her 24 races and came in fastest in seven of them. Neuner won the 2007–08 Biathlon World Cup with dominating skiing performances. She set the fastest course time in 19 of her 25 races and was second or third fastest in the remaining six. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season
2008–09 Biathlon World Cup
The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
, Neuner had a substantial drop in her skiing times due to a series of illnesses. However, she recovered and set the fastest course time in 14 of the remaining 18 races from January onwards. In the 2009–10 Olympic season
2009–10 Biathlon World Cup
The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia...
, Neuner again started slowly in December, but came back finishing among the top three fastest skiers in 17 of her 21 races. She had her second best winter in 2010–11
2010–11 Biathlon World Cup
The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
when she set the fastest or second fastest skiing time in 90% of her 21 races.
Neuner had been a fast cross-country skier from an early age. When she was eight years old, she won the first cross-country skiing competition she entered at her local ski club. At junior level, her lap times at the German Student's Cup were comparable to older or male opponents. At the age of 15, Neuner managed to set the same skiing times as her coeval male training partners. In preparation for the 2006–07 season, Neuner skied 5300 kilometres (3,293.3 mi) in training; she increased the volume to 6000 kilometres (3,728.2 mi) for the 2007–08 season. Because of her ski speed, she has often been able to compensate for one or sometimes two or three shooting errors (a penalty loop is 150 metres (164 yd) long and normally takes 21 to 26 seconds).
During three of her 24 World Cup wins (2007 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2007
The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET...
pursuit, 2008 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2008
The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970...
mass start, and 2009 Ruhpolding pursuit), Neuner skied three additional penalty loops compared to the second place finisher. In March 2008, she came in second in the Khanty-Mansiysk mass start race, despite completing five penalty loops. She also reached third place in the Oberhof pursuit in January 2007 with six missed targets. At Neuner's first World Cup victory in the individual discipline in January 2010, she compensated for a total time penalty of two minutes on the 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) cross-country course (incurred by two additional shooting errors).
Skiing statistics
| Course times | 2005–06 season | 2006–07 season | 2007–08 season | 2008–09 season 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... |
2009–10 season 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia... |
2010–11 season 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... |
Career | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fastest | 0 / 10 | 0% | 7 / 24 | 29% | 19 / 25 | 76% | 14 / 25 | 56% | 9 / 21 | 43% | 12 / 21 | 57% | 61 / 126 | 48% |
| 2nd fastest | 0 / 10 | 0% | 5 / 24 | 21% | 4 / 25 | 16% | 1 / 25 | 4% | 7 / 21 | 33% | 7 / 21 | 33% | 24 / 126 | 19% |
| 3rd fastest | 0 / 10 | 0% | 7 / 24 | 29% | 2 / 25 | 8% | 3 / 25 | 12% | 1 / 21 | 5% | 0 / 21 | 0% | 13 / 126 | 10% |
| Other | 10 / 10 | 100% | 5 / 24 | 21% | 0 / 25 | 0% | 7 / 25 | 28% | 4 / 21 | 19% | 2 / 21 | 10% | 28 / 126 | 22% |
- *Key:Number of respective times achieved / number of all races entered, percentage. Results in IBU World Cup races, no relay events.
- **Statistics as of 20 March 11.
Shooting
2010–11 Biathlon World Cup
The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
, Neuner has a career shooting accuracy of 77%. Her career average in the prone position is 88%, while her career average in the standing position is 67%. Her shooting results in the prone position are similar to other top contenders. The standing shoot has long been her weak point and her hit percentage is well below average in the World Cup field, although it has improved considerably since 2008.
With a 78% accuracy, Neuner had solid shooting results during her 2005–06 season debut. Her average dropped to 74% in her first complete season in 2006–07. Neuner won the 2007–08 Biathlon World Cup with a shooting accuracy of 73%, which is the lowest result for an Overall World Cup winner ever and roughly ten per cent below the previous three winners' averages: Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel is a German biathlete and the younger sister of Manuela Henkel, a successful cross-country skier. She trains at SV Großbreitenbach...
(84%), Kati Wilhelm
Kati Wilhelm
Kati Wilhelm is a German former professional biathlete. Like most German biathletes she is also a member of the German Armed Forces with the rank of master sergeant...
(87%) and Sandrine Bailly
Sandrine Bailly
Sandrine Bailly is a former French biathlete. She was most successful in the 2004–05 season, when she could win the overall World Cup, and in the 2007–08 season, when she finished second...
(81%). She steadily increased her shooting percentages in the following two seasons with a 76% average in 2008–09
2008–09 Biathlon World Cup
The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
, and her career best results of 82% in the 2009–10 Olympic season
2009–10 Biathlon World Cup
The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia...
. In the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Biathlon World Cup
The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
, she set her career high in the standing position with a 75% accuracy.
Neuner's shooting performances have been a regular topic in the German media. At times she has been reluctant to discuss her shooting in interviews and has said the public's fixation on it contributes to the problem. She has insisted her difficulties in the standing position are not due to technical weaknesses but psychological, and her training results are just as good as the results of her team mates. She explained in interviews that she had developed a fear of the standing shooting over time, knowing she had to justify herself after the race if she missed. In 2008, Neuner trained with Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
shooting coach and former large calibre world champion, Rudi Krenn, and subsequently changed her stance slightly. Since 2009, she has worked with a psychologist, primarily focusing on mental techniques to build her confidence on the shooting range. Her standing position average has improved from 60% to 75% from 2008 to 2011. Neuner has been wearing ear plugs during some of the races in order to better concentrate while shooting. The individual race, which places a high emphasis on shooting, has traditionally been her worst discipline (each shooting error results in a one minute time penalty, instead of a penalty loop).
The sprint race in Khanty-Mansiysk in March 2007 and the 2011 World Championship sprint
Biathlon World Championships 2011 – Women's sprint
The women's sprint competition of the Biathlon World Championships 2011 was held on March 5, 2011 at 18:00 local time. 103 athletes participated.- Results :...
mark Neuner's only World Cup wins with a perfect shooting record. She also shot clean on two other occasions, the sprint in Kontiolahti in March 2006, coming in fourth place, and the Östersund sprint in December 2008, finishing third. Her worst shooting performance came in December 2008, with a total of nine shooting errors at the World Cup pursuit in Hochfilzen. Neuner's costliest shooting occurred during a mass start race in Antholz in January 2009. After 15 clean shots, she was leading by 53.6 seconds before the final shooting, in which she missed all five targets, eventually dropping to sixth place.
Shooting statistics
| Shooting | 2005–06 season | 2006–07 season | 2007–08 season | 2008–09 season 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... |
2009–10 season 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia... |
2010–11 season 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... |
Career | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prone position | 73 / 80 | 91% | 176 / 205 | 85% | 194 / 223 | 87% | 191 / 223 | 86% | 171 / 188 | 91% | 175 / 198 | 88% | 980 / 1117 | 88% |
| Standing position | 52 / 80 | 65% | 135 / 213 | 63% | 138 / 229 | 60% | 150 / 228 | 66% | 137 / 189 | 72% | 150 / 200 | 75% | 762 / 1139 | 67% |
| Total | 125 / 160 | 78% | 311 / 418 | 74% | 332 / 452 | 73% | 341 / 451 | 76% | 308 / 377 | 82% | 325 / 398 | 82% | 1742 / 2256 | 77% |
- *Key:Hits / shots, percentage. Results in all IBU World Cup races including relay events.
- **Statistics as of 20 March 2011.
Personal life
Wallgau
Wallgau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany.- Growth :- Demographics :- Notable people :* Magdalena Neuner, ten-time biathlon world champion, Olympic champion, Biathlon World Cup winner- External links :...
, Germany, a small alpine village of 1,400 people, from birth. In 2007, she bought her grandmother's house in Wallgau, where she now lives in her own flat. Neuner plays the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
and owns an enduro
Enduro
Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on courses that are predominantly off-road. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges...
motorcycle. She has said she enjoys mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, hiking and swimming during the off-season.
Neuner had been involved in a nearly two-year relationship with Austrian
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
ski technician and former biathlete Franz Perwein, whom she had met during the 2006 Junior/Youth World Championships. Until the autumn of 2009, she then lived in a relationship with DSV
German Ski Association
The German Ski Association is the national governing body for skiing in Germany. The organisation was founded in 1905 among local ski clubs. The DSV headquarters are located in Planegg, south of Munich...
chief biathlon technician Björn Weisheit for 19 months. In December 2009, Neuner confirmed a romantic relationship with Josef Holzer, a school day friend from Wallgau.
In the media
Biathlon is the most popular winter sportWinter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
in Germany. Each World Cup event is shown live on German television and the January World Cup races in Oberhof
Oberhof, Germany
Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year...
, Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....
and Antholz
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...
are regularly seen by over five million viewers. Following her three world championship titles in 2007, Neuner quickly became one of Germany's most popular female sport stars, often nicknamed "Gold Lena" in the media. During her first two years in the spotlight she signed several endorsement deals and claimed numerous awards. Neuner's popularity grew further with her success during the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. Her second gold medal win in the Olympic mass start
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's mass start
The women's mass start competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 21, 2010.- Results :-External links:* , from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-20....
was seen live by 9.75 million television viewers (a 31.5 per cent market share), the most watched programme of the Games in Germany. Her withdrawal from the Olympic relay
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's relay
The women's relay competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 23, 2010.. The format was four relays of 6 km, with two shoots for each, one lying and one standing.- Results :...
was one of the dominating stories of the Winter Olympics in Germany, leading to much media speculation whether pulling out had been entirely her decision. She later received the Fair Play medal of Germany's Olympic Society for setting an example of "team spirit".
Neuner won the Biathlon Award, chosen by the national coaches of the World Cup teams, for Female Athlete of the Year in both 2007 and 2008, and she was awarded the Goldener Ski (Golden Ski), the highest award of the German Ski Association
German Ski Association
The German Ski Association is the national governing body for skiing in Germany. The organisation was founded in 1905 among local ski clubs. The DSV headquarters are located in Planegg, south of Munich...
in 2007, 2008 and 2010. The Forum Nordicum, a consortium of journalists form twelve countries, named her Biathlete of the Year in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons
2009–10 Biathlon World Cup
The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia...
, beating out her male counterparts Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Emil Hegle Svendsen
Emil Hegle Svendsen
Emil Hegle Svendsen is a Norwegian biathlete. He skis with Strindheim IL, based in Trondheim. He is tall, and weighs 170 lb ....
respectively. Neuner was chosen as Germany's 2007 Sportswoman of the Year
German Sportspersonality of the year
The German Sportspersonality of the Year is chosen annually since 1947, for both men and women. The recordholder is tennis player Steffi Graf . Swimmer Michael Groß, tennis player Boris Becker, and high jumper Ulrike Meyfarth each have four awards...
by the country's sports journalists. The following years, she came in third for the 2008 award and was voted in second place in 2010. Along with all Olympic medal winners, she received the Silberne Lorbeerblatt (Silver Laurel Leaf) in 2010, the highest state decoration
State decoration
State decorations are orders, medals and other decorations granted by a state. International decorations are similar, but are not granted by a specific nation but rather an international organization....
for athletes in Germany. In 2011, readers of Germany's top selling newspaper Bild voted Neuner the seventh greatest German sportsperson of all time.
Neuner's interest in knitting
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
has often been addressed by the German media and she maintains a knitting website, which includes detailed knitting instructions and a "knitting blog". She has stated that she usually takes knitting equipment on her travels during the season and that knitting is a way for her to relax. In 2007, Neuner declined an offer to appear nude in the German edition of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
. Outside of Germany, she is particularly popular in Russia, where she has a fan club
Fan club
A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
and from where she has said to receive half of her fan mail
Fan mail
Fan mail is mail sent to a public figure, especially a celebrity, by their admirers or "fans".In return celebrities may send a poster or picture and usually a return letter.-Overview:...
. In 2010, Neuner appeared in an advertising campaign for a lingerie line. She explained she tried to use it in a deliberate attempt to correct her media image, after becoming irritated with her public persona of "little sweet Lena". She was an ambassador for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. and a member of the board of trustees for Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, is a winter multi-sport event scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, between 9 and 25 February 2018. The elected host city was announced on 6 July 2011 by the International Olympic Committee , after the...
.
Olympic Games
Neuner has won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Winter Olympic Games. At her first appearance at the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada, she won gold in the pursuit
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's pursuit
The women's pursuit competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 16, 2010.Observers and participants reported that the race start was confused and disorganized. U.S...
and the mass start event
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's mass start
The women's mass start competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 21, 2010.- Results :-External links:* , from http://www.vancouver2010.com/; retrieved 2010-02-20....
. She also claimed silver in the opening sprint
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's sprint
The women's sprint competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia on February 13, 2010. This competition started at 1:00 PM PST.- Results :- References :...
. After winning three medals, she decided not to participate in the concluding relay race.
| Event | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics The biathlon competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics were held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia. The events were held between the 13th and 26 February 2010.... |
10th | Silver | Gold | Gold | — |
World Championships
Neuner is the most successful female biathlete in the history of Biathlon World ChampionshipsBiathlon World Championships
The first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...
. She has won thirteen medals—ten gold and three silver. At her debut during the 2007 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2007
The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET...
in Antholz
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...
, Italy, Neuner won three titles (sprint, pursuit and relay). One year later at the 2008 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2008
The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970...
in Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
, Sweden, she again claimed three gold medals, winning the mass start, relay and mixed relay events. Neuner did not win a title at the 2009 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2009
The 43rd Biathlon World Championships were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 13 to February 22, 2009. It was the first time that the Biathlon World Championships were held in Asia ....
in Pyeongchang, South Korea; her best result was the silver medal in the relay event. She won her second mixed relay gold in Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...
, Russia, in 2010. At the 2011 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2011
The 44th Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from March 3 to March 13 2011.There was a total of 11 competitions: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, and relay races for men and women, and mixed relay...
, she won three more titles (sprint, mass start, relay) and two silver medals (pursuit and mixed relay).
| Event | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed Relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Antholz, Italy Biathlon World Championships 2007 The 41st Biathlon World Championships were held in 2007 for the fourth time in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy from February 2 to February 11.-Opening ceremony:* Date / Time: Fri February 3, 2007 / 20:00 CET... |
— | Gold | Gold | 14th | Gold | — |
| 2008 Östersund, Sweden Biathlon World Championships 2008 The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970... |
— | 17th | 6th | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| 2009 Pyeongchang, South Korea Biathlon World Championships 2009 The 43rd Biathlon World Championships were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 13 to February 22, 2009. It was the first time that the Biathlon World Championships were held in Asia .... |
— | 8th | 11th | 7th | Silver | — |
| 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Biathlon World Championships 2010 The Mixed Relay Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia on March 28, 2010. As for the rules of biathlon in the year of the Winter Olympic Games World Championships being played only in disciplines not included in the Olympic program, therefore the championship consists only... |
Not held in an Olympic season | Gold | ||||
| 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Biathlon World Championships 2011 The 44th Biathlon World Championships was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from March 3 to March 13 2011.There was a total of 11 competitions: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, and relay races for men and women, and mixed relay... |
5th | Gold | Silver | Gold | Gold | Silver |
World Cup
During her first World Cup season, Neuner only appeared in ten races, finishing 34th in the overall standings. In the 2006–07 season, she became a regular in the German team and ended the season in fourth place. Neuner won the Biathlon World CupBiathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
for the first time in 2007–08; she also won the sprint and mass start disciplines. She finished the 2008–09 season
2008–09 Biathlon World Cup
The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
fourth, winning the individual discipline that year. In the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Biathlon World Cup
The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia...
, Neuner won the overall World Cup for a second time; by winning the pursuit and mass start scores as well, she has claimed each World Cup title at least once. In 2010–11
2010–11 Biathlon World Cup
The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
, she won the sprint discipline for a second time and finished fifth in the season ranking.
| Season | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Overall | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Races | Points | Position | Races | Points | Position | Races | Points | Position | Races | Points | Position | Races | Points | Position | |
| 2005–06 | 0/3 | – | – | 4/10 | 65 | 33rd | 4/8 | 65 | 30th | 2/5 | 34 | 30th | 10/26 | 164 | 34th |
| 2006–07 | 2/4 | 34 | 25th | 10/10 | 285 | 4th | 8/8 | 283 | 2nd | 4/5 | 114 | 10th | 24/27 | 720 | 4th |
| 2007–08 | 2/3 | 33 | 20th | 10/10 | 326 | 1st | 8/8 | 232 | 5th | 5/5 | 186 | 1st | 25/26 | 818 | 1st |
| 2008–09 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup The 2008–09 Biathlon World Cup is a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... |
3/4 | 129 | 1st | 10/10 | 358 | 2nd | 7/7 | 231 | 5th | 5/5 | 146 | 8th | 25/26 | 891 | 4th |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup The 2009–10 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The season started December 2, 2009 in Östersund, Sweden and ended March 28, 2010 with the Mixed Relay World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia... |
3/4 | 114 | 6th | 8/10 | 334 | 2nd | 6/6 | 256 | 1st | 4/5 | 216 | 1st | 21/25 | 933 | 1st |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union... |
3/4 | 99 | 14th | 8/10 | 404 | 1st | 5/7 | 221 | 6th | 4/5 | 228 | 2nd | 21/26 | 952 | 5th |
- *Key:Races—number of entered races/all races; Points—won World Cup points; Position—World Cup season ranking.
World Cup wins
Over the course of six seasons, Neuner has reached 24 personal World Cup wins. In the history of the International Biathlon UnionInternational Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union, IBU, is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria.- History :The International Biathlon Union was founded on 2 July 1993...
she is ranked third behind Magdalena Forsberg
Magdalena Forsberg
Magdalena "Magda" Forsberg is a former Swedish cross country skier and biathlete. She was the dominating female biathlete from 1997 to 2002, when she retired, winning the Biathlon World Cup for six years straight...
(42) and Uschi Disl
Uschi Disl
Ursula Disl is a former German biathlete. , . She resides with her Swedish boyfriend Tomas Söderberg in Austria, and like most German Nordic skiers, is in the military as a border patrol guard...
(30) for all-time career victories. In addition, she has won nine relay races and three mixed relay events as part of the German World Cup team. Neuner has often started slowly at the beginning of a winter season and has claimed only one of her individual victories before Christmas. Consequently 15 of her 36 wins came in the month of March. Geographically most of her wins occurred in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...
(9) and Antholz, Italy
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...
(5).
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center">
| |||
| No. | Date | Location | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 January 2007 | Oberhof Oberhof, Germany Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. It is visited by tenfold as many tourists every year... , Germany |
Sprint |
| 2 | 3 March 2007 | Antholz, Italy Rasen-Antholz Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:... (WCH) |
Sprint |
| 3 | 4 March 2007 | Antholz, Italy (WCH) | Pursuit |
| 4 | 10 March 2007 | Oslo, Norway | Pursuit |
| 5 | 11 March 2007 | Oslo, Norway | Mass Start |
| 6 | 15 March 2007 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia Khanty-Mansiysk Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°... |
Sprint |
| 7 | 17 March 2007 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia | Pursuit |
| 8 | 6 January 2008 | Oberhof, Germany | Mass Start |
| 9 | 16 February 2008 | Östersund, Sweden Östersund Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the... (WCH) |
Mass Start |
| 10 | 28 February 2008 | Pyeongchang, South Korea Pyeongchang County Pyeongchang is a county in Gangwon province, South Korea located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is also home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is located approximately east of Seoul, the capital of South Korea... |
Sprint |
| 11 | 6 March 2008 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia | Sprint |
| 12 | 16 January 2009 | Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
Sprint |
| 13 | 18 January 2009 | Ruhpolding, Germany | Pursuit |
| 14 | 28 March 2009 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia | Pursuit |
| 15 | 20 January 2010 | Antholz, Italy | Individual |
| 16 | 22 January 2010 | Antholz, Italy | Sprint |
| 17 | 17 February 2010 | Vancouver, Canada Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... (OG) |
Pursuit |
| 18 | 21 February 2010 | Vancouver, Canada (OG) | Mass Start |
| 19 | 27 March 2010 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia | Mass Start |
| 20 | 18 December 2010 | Pokljuka, Slovenia Pokljuka Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park... |
Sprint |
| 21 | 13 February 2011 | Fort Kent, United States Fort Kent, Maine Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,097 in the 2010 census. Fort Kent is home to an Olympic biathlete training center, an annual CAN-AM dogsled race, and the Fort Kent Blockhouse, built in reaction to the Aroostook War and in modern times designated... |
Mass Start |
| 22 | 5 March 2011 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (WCH) | Sprint |
| 23 | 12 March 2011 | Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (WCH) | Mass Start |
| 24 | 17 March 2011 | Oslo, Norway | Sprint |
Rasen-Antholz
Rasen-Antholz is a municipality in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:...
(WCH)
Pokljuka
Pokljuka is a foresty plateau at the altitude of around 1300 metres, situated partly in the municipality of Bled and partly in municipality of Bohinj in northwestern Slovenia. It is part of Triglav national park...
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
(WCH)
Hochfilzen
Hochfilzen is a small village in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Pillersee valley 5km west of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,109 in 2001.It is a popular winter sports resort, especially for cross country skiing...
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
Khanty-Mansiysk
Khanty-Mansiysk experiences a subarctic climate . The climate is extreme, with temperatures as low as -49 C° and as high as 34.5 C°. On average, however, the region is very cold, with an average tempurature of -1.1 C°...
(WCH)
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census...
- *Key:WCH—World Championships; OG—Olympic Games. Statistics as of 20 March 2011.
Overall record
As of the end of the 2010–11 season2010–11 Biathlon World Cup
The 2010–11 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union...
, Neuner has competed in a total of 145 races at senior level, winning 36 of them (a 24.83 win percentage). She has claimed at least one win in each discipline of biathlon and has scored World Cup points in all but three of her races. Neuner has reached a total of 62 World Cup podiums (45 in individual races and 17 in team events). In addition, she has achieved 109 top ten finishes—75.17 per cent of all the races she has entered.
| Result | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed Relay | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | 1 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 36 |
| 2nd Place | – | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 14 |
| 3rd Place | 1 | 8 | 1 | 2 | – | – | 12 |
| Top 10 | 9 | 35 | 26 | 20 | 14 | 5 | 109 |
| Points | 12 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 14 | 5 | 142 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Starts | 13 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 14 | 5 | 145 |
- *Results in all IBU World Cup races including relay events. Statistics as of 20 March 2011.
Junior/Youth World Championships
Neuner has won seven gold and four silver medals at the Biathlon Junior/Youth World Championships. With the exception of the individual discipline, she has won a medal in every race she entered. In 2004, at her first junior world championships in Haute MaurienneMaurienne
Maurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...
, France, Neuner won two titles (sprint and relay). One year later, she claimed gold in the sprint race in Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
, Finland, and in 2006, she again won two titles (pursuit and relay) in Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census...
, United States. Neuner did not participate in the 2007 event. She returned to the junior world championships in 2008 when they were held in Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....
, Germany, winning two more gold medals (sprint and pursuit).
| Event | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Haute Maurienne, France Maurienne Maurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:... |
— | Gold | Silver | Gold |
| 2005 Kontiolahti, Finland Kontiolahti Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .... |
4th | Gold | Silver | Silver |
| 2006 Presque Isle, United States Presque Isle, Maine Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in the sparsely populated Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,692 at the 2010 census... |
7th | Silver | Gold | Gold |
| 2008 Ruhpolding, Germany Ruhpolding Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400.... |
— | Gold | Gold | — |
Achievements and honours
International titles- Winter Olympic Games – 2 gold medals
- 2010: Pursuit, Mass Start
- Overall Biathlon World CupBiathlon World CupThe Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
winner – 2007–08, 2009–10 - Individual World Cup winner – 2008–09
- Sprint World Cup winner – 2007–08, 2010–11
- Pursuit World Cup winner – 2009–10
- Mass Start World Cup winner – 2007–08, 2009–10
- Biathlon World ChampionshipsBiathlon World ChampionshipsThe first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...
– 10 gold medals- 2007: Sprint, Pursuit, Relay
- 2008: Mass Start, Relay, Mixed Relay
- 2010: Mixed Relay
- 2011: Sprint, Mass Start, Relay
- Biathlon Junior/Youth World Championships – 7 gold medals
Awards
- German Sportswoman of the YearGerman Sportspersonality of the yearThe German Sportspersonality of the Year is chosen annually since 1947, for both men and women. The recordholder is tennis player Steffi Graf . Swimmer Michael Groß, tennis player Boris Becker, and high jumper Ulrike Meyfarth each have four awards...
– 2007 - Biathlon Award for Female Newcomer of the Year – 2007
- Biathlon Award for Female Athlete of the Year – 2007, 2008
- Goldener Ski of the DSVGerman Ski AssociationThe German Ski Association is the national governing body for skiing in Germany. The organisation was founded in 1905 among local ski clubs. The DSV headquarters are located in Planegg, south of Munich...
– 2007, 2008, 2010 - Biathlete of the Year of the Forum Nordicum – 2008, 2010
- Silbernes LorbeerblattSilbernes LorbeerblattThe Silberne Lorbeerblatt is the highest sports award in Germany. It had been endowed on June 23, 1950 by the German President Theodor Heuss. It is awarded to athletes and teams if they placed several times at international championships. Furthermore, the honoree also has to have an exemplary...
– 2010
Further reading
English- Klein, Tom & Palme, Jürgen. Interview with Magdalena Neuner. Biathlonworld. 16 March 2008. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Klein, Tom. Magdalena Neuner wins overall World Cup at age 21. Biathlonworld. 16 March 2008. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Palme, Jürgen. "We're pretty drained anyways" – Interview with Magdalena Neuner. Biathlonworld. 21 January 2009. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Agence France-Press. Biathlon: Vancouver 2010 ones to watch – Magdalena Neuner. Olympicsinfo.ca. 24 January 2010. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- The New York Times Company. Magdalena Neuner – Athlete Biography. NYTimes.com. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Futterman, Matthew. The Skier Who Can't Shoot Straight. Wall Street Journal. 16 February 2010. Accessed 12 August 2011.
German
- Blume, Klaus. Fräulein Neuner und das erstaunliche Gespür für Schnee. kicker online. 7 December 2006. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Zeilmann, Kathrin. Magdalena Neuner. Ein strickender Winterstar. Focus Online. 29 November 2007. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Wiedemann, Roland. Magdalena Neuner, Biathlon-Star und Profi-Strickerin. Spiegel Online. 30 November 2007. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Wolfsgruber, Axel. „Wie eine echte Königin“. Focus. 49/2007. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Stracke, Peter. Magdalena Neuner im Porträt. sueddeutsche.de. 22 December 2007. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Bellstedt, Klaus. Powerfrau mit Zitterarm. stern.de. 8 February 2008. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Hacke, Detlef. Lenas heile Welt. Der Spiegel. 6/2008. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Dunker, Robert. Magdalena Neuner ist der Liebling der Sponsoren. WELT Online. 17 March 2008. Accessed 12 August 2011.
- Kreisl, Volker. Suche nach dem Nichts. Süddeutsche Zeitung. 11 December 2009. Accessed 12 August 2011.
External links
- Official website
- Magdalena-strickt.de, Neuner's knitting website
- Statistics at IBU Datacenter
- Magdalena Neuner, Olympic.org
- Profile on the German Customs website
- Information on her hometown's website