The 27-year-old has World Championship medals in her trophy cabinet but was still dropped from the National Team. Now, she’s giving herself one last shot at success outside the squad – and hope is beginning to grow.

Just two seasons ago, she stood on the World Championship podium and was seen as the future of German biathlon. Now, she’s been left out of the National Team.

Hanna Kebinger was part of the German Team that won silver in the relay on home snow at the 2023 World Championships in Oberhof. A few weeks later, she ended the season with fourth place in the mass start at the World Cup Final in Oslo.

But then everything unraveled.

From Heaven to Hell

Kebinger’s last two seasons have spiraled downward, plagued by illness and injuries. Now, she has been dropped from the German National Team.

“My body hasn’t wanted what I’ve wanted,” Kebinger explained on her Instagram account.

Still, Kebinger continues to have support from her sponsors. That, combined with her job in the customs service, allows her to keep pursuing her biathlon career outside the German National Team.

Conditional Trust from the National Team

Although Kebinger is currently out of the National Team, she remains in dialogue with its leadership. The German Team’s sports director, Felix Bitterling, is keeping the door slightly open for her.

“She is absolutely interesting to us, and I believe she has every opportunity to succeed. We’re in close contact with her and her coaches,” he told Sports-Infos.

However, Bitterling makes it clear that she still has a way to go before regaining a spot on the Team.

“She needs to have a clear plan for herself. In her situation, it might even be better to be outside the Team so she can focus on training at home instead of constantly stressing from one competition to another,” he said.

At the same time, Bitterling points out that Kebinger has several opportunities to earn a place on the World Cup squad already this year. The first is the German National Roller Ski Championships in September. The next is a qualification race in November.

For Hanna Kebinger, the most important thing is to keep hope alive.

“We’ve come a long way in solving my health issues. Now I finally feel like things are starting to turn around, after a very long and difficult period,” she said.

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