Denise Herrmann-Wick - Biathlon
- Successes
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Olympic champion and bronze at the Olympic Games in Biathlon
2-time World champion in Biathlon
6x silver, 1x bronze at World Championships in Biathlon
Bronze at the Olympic Games in Cross-Country
- Birthday
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12/20/1988
- Profession
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Armed forces athlete
- Club
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WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal
- Hobbies
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Sports in general, music, knitting
- What's important to me
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I really enjoy sports and exercising in nature. I would like to convey this in public as well as in private. I am particularly motivated to achieve my goals in sports. This is also extremely important for other areas of life. I also try to protect natural resources as best I can and to think about sustainability. After all, this is an important issue that affects us all. I enjoy spending time with my family and I try to take maximum advantage of the little time I have.
Viessmann has stood behind me professionally for many years and also supported me when I switched to biathlon. I am glad that I can continue to be part of the Viessmann family.
Career
Denise completes her first cross-country skiing competitions at the age of eight. Eight years later she takes part in international junior races for the DSV. In 2014, she wins bronze at her first Olympic Games in Sochi with the women’s relay in cross-country skiing. Two years later she switches to biathlon and celebrates her first World Cup victory with the relay team in Pyeongchang in the same season. In 2019, Denise becomes world champion in pursuit at the World Cup in Östersund. She ends the 2019/20 season as third in the overall World Cup. After a total of three silver medals at the World Championships in Antholz (2020) and in Pokljuka (2021), the biggest sporting highlight so far will follow in 2022: the Olympic victory in the individual and bronze with the relay team at the Olympic Games in Beijing. In her last season as an active athlete, Denise crowns her career at the World Championships in Oberhof with a gold medal in the sprint and silver in both the pursuit and relay. After the 2022/23 season, she will end her successful career as a cross-country skier and biathlete.
Successes in cross-country
In cross-country, Denise secures her first podium finish in the team sprint competition with teammate Hanna Kolb in 2012. One season later, she takes second place in the sprint overall ranking and in 2014 wins bronze with the relay team at the Olympic Games in Sochi.
Switch to biathlon and first World Cup victory
Due to her outstanding performance in the IBU Cup, Denise is given her first opportunity to compete in the World Cup in December 2016. She secures her first World Cup victory with the relay team in Pyeongchang in March 2017.
Hitting the ground running
Denise wins both the sprint and the pursuit competitions in Östersund at the beginning of her second World Cup season in biathlon. She also wins with the relay team at the World Cup on home turf in Ruhpolding. The highlight of her season is the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang in February 2018. She concludes the season with an impressive 12th place in the overall World Cup.
First world champion title
Denise continues to secure podium finishes in individual and with the relay team in the World Cup. She becomes world champion in pursuit and wins silver with the mixed relay team at the Biathlon World Championship in Östersund, Sweden, the highlight of the season.
Rapid success: vice world champion, podium finish in the sprint ranking and in the overall World Cup
Denise wins two silver medals at the 2020 World Championship in Antholz – in pursuit and with the women’s relay team. Thanks to consistently good performance throughout the entire season, she claims victory in the sprint ranking and takes third in the overall World Cup at the end of the season.
13th year in the World Cup circus & another vice world champion title
Even in a season marked by the Corona pandemic, Denise achieves good results. In total, she finished on the podium seven times and can boast further top-10 placings. In addition, Denise was crowned runner-up in the women's relay for the second time in a row at the 2021 World Championships on the Pokljuka.
Arrived at the summit: Olympic victory in the individual & bronze in the relay
The season gets off to a promising start for Denise with third place in the first race. But the big highlight is still to come. At the season's highlight, the Olympic Games in Beijing, Denise sensationally wins gold in the individual and follows it up with a bronze medal in the relay. Spurred on by this success, she also lands on the podium several times in the remaining World Cup races and wins the sprint in Kontiolahti, among others.
Crowning finale: World champion & end of career
Denise once again manages to be in top form at the season's highlight and wins the world championship title in the sprint at the home World Championships in Oberhof. But that's not all: two silver medals in the pursuit and relay followed. Even after announcing her retirement from top-class sport, Denise is unstoppable: She wins the last sprint in Oslo and thus secures victory in the overall rankings for this discipline. A great end to a great career.
