Biathlon in the Stadium – The 24-Year History of the World Team Challenge Schalke

The World Team Challenge biathlon event is being held this evening in Schalke for the 24th time. In the history of the event, the Norwegians have been the most successful nation, but they are not considered the main favorites this year.

The beginnings

The predecessor of the Schalke biathlon event was held in Ruhpolding in the 1990s with great success, as contemporary reports claimed that the number of spectators exceeded 2 million in TV. Following this success, organizers began considering where the competition could be held elsewhere. In 2001, Herbert Fritzenwenger, the founding father of the event, visited the indoor ski slopes in Bottrop as a potential venue. However, during his stay there, he was captivated by the nearby Veltins Arena (then known as Arena AufSchalke), located just a few kilometers away. This sparked the idea of hosting the event there.

Norwegian dominance

At its new venue, the WTC was an immediate success, with more than 35,000 spectators attending the very first event. The inaugural race in 2002 was won by Martina Beck and Michael Greis, ahead of Russian and Finnish duos. From then on, Ole Einar Björndalen and the Norwegian team dominated the event. The “King of Biathlon” won four consecutive races, achieving this feat with three different female partners, including two victories alongside Linda Grubben. In the 2007 season, the Russians broke the Norwegian dominance with the duo of Yekaterina Yuriyeva and Dmitry Yaroshenko. Björndalen, paired with Tora Berger, finished second that year

Years of variety

After 2007, German spectators witnessed increasingly diverse competition. In 2008, a Ukrainian pair claimed victory, while in 2009, the Austrian-German duo Christoph Sumann and Kati Wilhelm became the first mixed-nationality winners in the history of the event. Only one more such victory followed, in 2011, when Kaisa Mäkäräinen and Carl Johan Bergman won together. The Russians were also successful in 2010 with Ustyugov and Sleptsova, and again in 2012 with Shipulin and Yurlova.

The end of an era: Magdalena Neuner’s final race

The 2012 event was undoubtedly one of the most memorable in the competition’s history. One of the most successful athletes in German biathlon history, Magdalena Neuner, competed in the final race of her career here. Neuner retired at the very young age of just 25, yet still concluded an extraordinarily successful career: two Olympic titles, twelve world championship titles, thirty-four individual World Cup victories, and three overall Crystal Globes. She was unable to win her farewell race, although she did lead at one point. In the end, the then very young Dorothea Wierer claimed victory, Neuner finished second, and Éva Tófalvi stood on the third step of the podium. According to reports, more than 50,000 spectators watched the race on-site, while over 5 million viewers followed it on television in Germany alone.

Farewell to legends: the final appearance of Björndalen and Domracheva, and the rise of a new generation

Another German mixed-team victory had to wait until 2013, when Florian Graf and Laura Dahlmeier triumphed. In the following years, Ukrainian, French, German, and Russian victories followed, leading up to 2018—perhaps the most iconic event in the series’ history. The legendary duo Ole Einar Björndalen and Darya Domracheva competed in their final race here. The married couple, who had already retired earlier that spring, held their own against active World Cup athletes. Björndalen and Domracheva have won a combined total of twelve Olympic titles, twenty-two World Championship titles, one hundred and twenty-nine World Cup races, and seven overall World Cup titles. They were unable to overtake the Wierer–Hofer and Preuss–Schempp duos. A special mention must go to Benedikt Doll, who waited at the finish line for Björndalen, arriving a few seconds later, allowing him to conclude his career alongside his wife with a third-place finish. The following year marked the end of Norway’s winless streak, as the Christiansen–Olsbu duo became the first winners since the 2006 Björndalen–Linda Grubben pairing.

Laura Dahlmeier’s farewell and a tragic life story

The year 2019 also brought another farewell, as Laura Dahlmeier competed in her final race at this event. Paired with Philipp Nawrath in the mixed team, they finished in fourth place. Sadly, she can no longer be present even as a spectator this year, having tragically passed away at the young age of 31 in a mountaineering accident earlier this year. Dahlmeier won two Olympic titles and seven world championship titles during her career. In addition, she claimed twenty-two individual World Cup victories and one overall World Cup title. She remained true to her life motto throughout her career: “Do not be afraid, you can do anything!” Her exceptional dedication and talent are further illustrated by her achievements in mountaineering, where she set records among women, including one of the speed ascent records on Nepal’s Ama Dablam.

Pandemic, venue changes, and new winners

Following 2019, the Russians achieved their last victory at the event, followed by the first-ever Austrian team win in 2021. The 2020 and 2021 competitions were held at the Ruhpolding biathlon arena due to the coronavirus pandemic. This was followed by the second double victory in the event’s history, as the Fabian Claude–Julia Simon duo remained unbeaten in both 2023 and 2024. Last year, another Norwegian success followed, with the pairing of Lægreid and Knotten.

The present and the favorites – who can win this year?

Once again, the organizers have managed to attract major names. Germany will be represented by the Hettich-Walz–Strelow and the Fichtner–Riethmüller duos. In addition, competitors include Slovenia’s Lampic, Finland’s Minkkinen, and France’s Jeanmonnot, among others.

Source: en.biathlon-aufschalke.de