The men’s biathlon sprint podium over 10km went to Fillon Maillet, Sjaastad Christiansen, and Lægreid – but for the German-speaking biathletes from Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, the pursuit race can still be exciting.

In total, ten athletes from the DACH nations have qualified for the pursuit.

Germany – medal chances are decided on the shooting range

Germany enters the pursuit with the strongest starting position among the DACH nations. Philipp Horn finished tenth in the sprint with just one missed shot and a time gap of 1:09 minutes. David Zobel (19th, +1:41 min), Justus Strelow (23rd, +1:46 min), and Philipp Nawrath (26th, +1:52 min) are also not far behind their teammate.

With four shooting bouts and direct head-to-head battles, German athletes can realistically remain in the fight for podium positions in the pursuit, especially if they manage clean shooting performances.

Switzerland – confident from the chasing group

For Switzerland, with Joscha Burkhalter (14th), Sebastian Stalder (15th), and Niklas Hartweg (17th), three athletes placed inside the top 20. As a result, they will start the pursuit almost simultaneously within a 16-second window, with time gaps ranging from 1:22 to 1:38 minutes behind the sprint winner.

This keeps all options open for the Swiss team in the pursuit, and with three athletes well positioned, Switzerland has an increased chance of achieving a strong overall result.

Austria – focus on moving up the field and seizing opportunities

Austria heads into the pursuit with a more challenging starting position after the sprint. The time gaps are larger, shifting the focus away from direct medal contention and more toward gaining positions.

Nevertheless, the pursuit format offers opportunities: aggressive skiing combined with clean shooting can lead to significant gains.

Among those qualified are Fabian Müllauer in 39th place with a time deficit of 2:23 minutes, veteran Simon Eder with a gap of 2:37 minutes (46th), and Patrick Jakob with 2:44 minutes (49th) behind the winner.

Read More – Program for biathlon at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Biathlon schedule – Milano-Cortina 2026

Sunday, February 8: Mixed Relay (M+W) (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:05 CET: Mixed Relay, Men + Women

Tuesday, February 10: Men 20km Individual (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:30 CET: 20km Individual, Men

Wednesday, February 11: Women 15km Individual (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:15 CET: 15km Individual, Women

Friday, February 13: Men 10km Sprint (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:00 CET: 10km Sprint, Men

Saturday, February 14: Women 7.5km Sprint (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:45 CET: 7.5km Sprint, Women

Sunday, February 15: Men 12.5km Pursuit and Women 10km Pursuit (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:15 CET: 12.5km Pursuit, Men
• 14:45 CET: 10km Pursuit, Women

Tuesday, February 17: Men 4×7.5km Relay (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:30 CET: 4×7.5km Relay, Men

Wednesday, February 18: Women 4x6km Relay (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:45 CET: 4x6km Relay, Women

Friday, February 20: Men 15km Mass Start (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:15 CET: 15km Mass Start, Men

Saturday, February 21: Women 12.5km Mass Start (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:15 CET: 12.5km Mass Start, Women

The complete program for the Winter Olympic Games can be found HERE

Antholz-Anterselva promises breathtaking events for athletes and spectacular viewing for fans. With every shot and ski stride counting, biathlon is set to be one of the most eagerly watched sports of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.

Are you interested in biathlon? Click HERE and read more about it.

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