The chief coach of the biathletes has been publicly expressed for the first time since its promotion – and exudes optimism towards the Olympics.
The new national coach Tobias Reiter believes in an upswing in the troubled German biathletes in the upcoming Olympic winter. It must be “the goal” to establish itself behind the dominant Norwegians as a top nation. “It would be bad if we say that we are beaten by house,” said the 39-year-old in the ARD: “We need more confidence for ourselves, need our own identity. We have great bases, great home and shooting trainers. We have everything we need.”
It is now important to “bring the PS to the street, to trust our own strengths,” said Reiter at his first public statement. After the surprising resignation of Uros Velepec, the Bavarian had taken over the office of head coach after the World Championships in Lenzerheide. As expected, the short -term change failed to materialize, only in summer the new coach can seriously tackle the significant construction sites. In particular, he sees standing shooting as a weak point.
“The boys all shoot very well when the intensity is not so. We have problems with a high level of intensity,” said Reiter: “We have to start, reaction is required. Standing is also related to a lot about convincing and determination, i.e. the mental component. We have started to turn to a few wheels and we want to continue in summer and then we hope that it goes in the right direction.” He had already set up “a clear plan”.