Following yesterday’s women’s 7.5km sprint, the focus now shifts to the pursuit race, where the German-speaking biathletes will look to turn solid sprint performances into strong pursuit results.

In total, eleven athletes from the DACH nations have qualified for the pursuit, keeping medal hopes and top-ten ambitions alive.

Also Read: Olympics 2026: Complete biathlon guide to the women’s 10km Pursuit

Germany – realistic podium chances

Germany once again demonstrated its team depth in the sprint, placing three athletes in promising starting positions for the pursuit. With manageable time gaps to the leaders and generally solid shooting performances, the German team heads into the next race with realistic podium ambitions.

Franziska Preuß was the best athlete from the DACH nations, finishing seventh despite one missed shot. She will start the pursuit race one minute behind sprint winner Maren Kirkeeide from Norway.

Vanessa Voigt, who narrowly missed the podium in the individual event, also delivered a solid race with clean shooting and finished 12th, 1:14 minutes back. The 20-year-old Julia Tannheimer from DAV Ulm fought her way into the top 20 at her Olympic debut and will start the pursuit with a time deficit of 1:32 minutes.

Selina Grotian, who stepped in at short notice for the ill Janina Hettich-Walz, missed at least one shot too many to secure a strong starting position for the pursuit, but still qualified with her 55th place and a time gap of 2:22 minutes.

Switzerland – everything from the top 10 result to the last qualifiers

The best Swiss athlete with clean shooting and solid performance on the tracks was Lea Meier. She finished 13th and will start the pursuit just two seconds behind Vanessa Voigt, keeping her chances for another top result alive.

Her teammates Amy Baserga (29th, +1:46 min), Aita Gasparin (55th, +2:24 min), and Lena Häcki-Gross (60th, +2:39 min) also qualified for the pursuit. Still, they will start with larger time deficits and therefore reduced chances of achieving a top result.

Austria – with a new athlete’s career-best result

Austria made headlines yesterday thanks to the young Anna Andexer, who achieved a career-best result with clean shooting and a solid skiing performance. Finishing 9th, she placed inside the top 10 of an individual race for the first time and secured another opportunity to chase a top result in today’s pursuit. With a 1:09-minute gap, she will once again be able to attack the top names.

Her teammates, Lisa Theresa Hauser and Anna Gandler, finished in 30th and 32nd place, respectively, both just under two minutes behind the winner, and will be aiming to gain as many positions as possible in the pursuit. For Anna Juppe, three missed shots resulted in 75th place, meaning she did not qualify for the pursuit race.

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 courses for athletes and spectacular viewing for fans. With every shot and ski stride counting, the biathletes will aim for the podium in every race, making the biathlon one of the most eagerly watched events of the 2026 Winter Games.

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

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