Biathlon: German medallist ends pursuit of third gold due to 'exhaustion'

German competitor Magdalena Neuner yesterday withdrew from the Women's relay, ending her chances of winning a third gold of the games.

Neuner, who won the 10km pursuit and 12.5km mass start titles, told her team her Olympics were over.



"She has decided not to take part in the relay," a team spokesman said. "It was her decision."



The 23-year-old Neuner, who also won a silver in the 7.5km sprint, felt exhausted after four races - she failed to medal in the 15km - and wanted to give other women in the strong German squad a chance to shine, he added.



"She has reached everything, and maybe even a bit more, than she ever dreamt of at these Olympic Games, so she wanted to give her team mates a chance to win their own medals," the spokesman said.



"There was a chance that after succeeding three times (with two gold and a silver) she might be lacking mental strength to perform at her best," he added.



"She said that she couldn't stand the idea of missing shots due to lack of concentration and thus costing her team a medal."



Nicknamed 'Gold Lena' in biathlon-mad Germany, Neuner was taking part in her first Olympics. Six times a world champion, she became in 2008 the youngest women's overall World Cup champion.



Her decision to skip the relay came as a surprise after she had said following her mass-start win on Sunday that another gold was within her reach.



Neuner's second gold on Sunday was watched by over 10 million spectators in Germany, giving public television channel ARD their best figure since the start of the Games.



The blonde customs officer recovered from a shaky first round of shooting to snatch gold courtesy of a turbo-style finish at Whistler Olympic Park.



Even without her, Germany, who have plenty of in-depth strength, will be title contenders in the 4x6km relay, for which coach Uwe Muessiggang is expected to rely on Andrea Henkel, Kati Wilhelm, Martina Beck and Simone Hauswald.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: Look To The Lady In The Prince Of Wales

The Prince of Wales Stakes today is regarded by many as the No1 race of the Royal Ascot meeting and ...

by Gareth Purnell

iBet: Favourites have a good record in the Coventry stakes

Today’s St James Palace looks a cracker and there has been sustained money for Dawn Approach since t...

by Gareth Purnell

Newcastle don’t need a football director – they need a new medical team after finishing bottom of the injury league

Newcastle United have shocked their fans by appointing Joe Kinnear as director of football but new f...

by Alex Miller

       
 

Day In a Page

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong': The true effect of the badger cull

The true effect of the badger cull

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong'
Theatre review: Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's The Cripple of Inishmaan

First night: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's comedy
Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

After 103 years, organisation changes oath to welcome 'all girls, of all faiths, and none'
Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Steve Tongue

Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago
Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit

Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Wiggins' exit

Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over
Hannah England: I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess

Hannah England: Keeping Track

I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess
Beards, brawn and body art

Beards, brawn and body art

Meet London’s new batch of male models
Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

British love of shows such as The Bridge, Borgen and The Killing shows no sign of fading
Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?

The Great Green Wall of Africa,

Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?
Laughter Inc: the cheering growth of the chuckle industry

Laughter Inc

The cheering growth of the chuckle industry
The bad science scandal: how fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research

The bad science scandal

How fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research
To the manor born: The female aristocrats battling to inherit the title

Female aristocrats battle to inherit the title

A passionate protest is gathering pace among the women of Britain's aristocracy, who believe that men should no longer automatically inherit the family pile and title.
Love struck: Photographs of JFK's visit to Berlin 50 years ago reveal a nation instantly smitten

In pictures: JFK's visit to Berlin in 1963

Photographer Ulrich Mack accompanied Kennedy on the entire trip. The results are an astonishing record of a watershed moment.
Eat shoots and leaves: Mark Hix gets creative with fresh peas, mangetouts and sugar snaps

Mark Hix gets creative with English peas

English peas and their offsprings, such as mangetouts and sugar snaps, are great tossed into a salad, says our chef.
Ceviche with a smile: Chef Martin Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends

Chef Martin Morales: Ceviche with a smile

Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends