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Right
in the beginning of the 1995/1996 season Sven could prove that the last
weak season was an exception. After not having won any competitions for
one and a half years, he now won two World Cups and a second place in
relay at Holmenkollen in December 1995. There were even inquiries from
the Norwegian side whether Sven, engaged to Norwegian biathlete Annette
Sikveland at that time, would like to start for Norway in the future. He
always refused such offers. His home region, the Thuringian Forest, the
ideal training conditions in Oberhof and being close to his family are
too important for him. In February 1996 the World Championships took
place in Ruhpolding. They turned out disappointing for the German
men’s team. After having started the season very well, everyone
expected good results in the World Championships at home, but a silver
medal in the relay competition was all they achieved. It was for the
first time in 27 years, that they didn’t win any medal as individual
competitors. Trainer Norbert Baier didn’t want to put the blame on the
pressure of the “home ground”, but a few athletes criticized the
equipment for the poor results. – All together the season wasn’t at
all bad for Sven: he became third in the overall World Cup. Sven
started well into the 1996/1997 season: he won two World Cups in
Lillehammer. But in the end of 1996, the back pains Sven suffers from
till today turned up. Muscular problems are the reason for his pains. He
had to decrease training. When he got a bad flu in addition to the back
pains in the end of January, nobody knew if he would be able to start in
the coming World Championships in Osrblie (Slovakia). He could
participate though, but couldn’t win a medal in individual or sprint
and didn’t take part in the team competition. But he didn’t have to
leave Osrblie without a medal, because he won gold as part of the relay
team. Apart from that this World Championships were more encouraging
than the last ones: Ricco Groß became World Champion in the individual
competition.In March 1997 the dress rehearsal for the Olympic Games in
Nagano took place in Nozawo Onzen, venue of the biathlon competitions.
Sven won the sprint and said: “It is a good thing that we were able to
test the conditions here. Now we know that we have to bring two or three
pairs of skis in addition, because the snow is very different from ours.”
– How right he was about that, the team became aware of at the
Olympics the following year… © Isabel Bräuer |