Martina Glagow
Encyclopedia
Martina "Molly" Beck (born Martina Glagow, 21 September 1979, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
, West Germany
), is a German
biathlete. She now lives in Mittenwald
in Bavaria
. She was most successful in the 2002–03 season, when she was the first German to win the women's overall Biathlon World Cup
. She is also a three-times world champion and three-times Olympic silver medalist. She married the Austria
n biathlete Günther Beck on 24 July, 2008 and is now known as Martina Beck. She has one daughter named Hilde (born 1 April 2011).
ability: she is regularly among the female athletes with the highest accuracy rate, leading the shooting statistics in the 2003–04 season with a rate of 89 percent.
She became a member of the German World Cup team in 2000, when she impressed by winning an event in her first year and even finished third in the mass start World Cup standings. Later, she became the first German biathlete to win the women's Biathlon World Cup
in the 2002–03 season, alongside the pursuit World Cup; in 2005–06, she finished third in the overall standings and won the mass start standings. In 2007–08, she was the best biathlete in the individual discipline. As of 17 March 2008, she has won a total of 12 individual world cup events.
During the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
, Beck won three silver medals: one in the sprint competition, one in the pursuit, and one in the relay. At world championships, she has won a total of eleven medals: she was World Champion thrice, in 2003 in the pursuit (together with Sandrine Bailly
) and in 2007 and 2008 in the relay.
Garmisch-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...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
), is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
biathlete. She now lives in Mittenwald
Mittenwald
Mittenwald is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria.-Geography:Mittenwald is located approx. 16 kilometers to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen...
in 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...
. She was most successful in the 2002–03 season, when she was the first German to win the women's overall 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 ....
. She is also a three-times world champion and three-times Olympic silver medalist. She married the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n biathlete Günther Beck on 24 July, 2008 and is now known as Martina Beck. She has one daughter named Hilde (born 1 April 2011).
Career
Beck's talent was discovered in fourth grade, when she beat out male competition up to three years older than herself in a cross-country skiing event. Although Beck stands only 1.58 metre tall, she is a strong skier, but is renowned for her shootingShooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
ability: she is regularly among the female athletes with the highest accuracy rate, leading the shooting statistics in the 2003–04 season with a rate of 89 percent.
She became a member of the German World Cup team in 2000, when she impressed by winning an event in her first year and even finished third in the mass start World Cup standings. Later, she became the first German biathlete to win the women's 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 ....
in the 2002–03 season, alongside the pursuit World Cup; in 2005–06, she finished third in the overall standings and won the mass start standings. In 2007–08, she was the best biathlete in the individual discipline. As of 17 March 2008, she has won a total of 12 individual world cup events.
During 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...
in Turin
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...
, Beck won three silver medals: one in the sprint competition, one in the pursuit, and one in the relay. At world championships, she has won a total of eleven medals: she was World Champion thrice, in 2003 in the pursuit (together with 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...
) and in 2007 and 2008 in the relay.
Achievements
- Winter Olympics:Biathlon at the Winter OlympicsBiathlon debuted at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley with the men's 20 km individual event. At the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, the men's 4×7.5 km relay debuted, followed by the 10 km sprint event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York...
- 2006: 3x Silver (Individual, Pursuit, Relay)
- 2010: 1x Bronze (Relay)
- Biathlon World Championships:Biathlon 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...
- 2001: 1x Silver (Mass Start)
- 2003: 1x Gold (Pursuit), 1x Bronze (Relay)
- 2004: 1x Silver (Pursuit), 2x Bronze (Sprint, Relay)
- 2007: 1x Gold (Relay), 1x Silver (Mass Start), 1x Bronze (Individual)
- 2008: 1x Gold (Relay), 1x Silver (Individual)
- Biathlon World Cup overall:Biathlon World CupThe Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
- 1x Overall World Cup Winner (2002/03), 1x World Cup Pursuit winner (2002/03), 1x World Cup Individual winner (2007/08)
- Biathlon World Cup victories:Biathlon World CupThe Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
- 14 (as of: 7 December 2008)
- Holmenkollen ski festivalHolmenkollen ski festivalThe Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
victories- 3 (as of 2006) - 2003 (pursuit), 2004 (individual), and 2006 (sprint)