German biathlete, six-time biathlon world champion. Silver medalist 2010 Olympic Games sprint. The youngest winner in overall standings World Cup (2007/08 season) in history. Three-time world champion in summer biathlon. After winning 3 gold medals at the World Championships in 2007, Neuner became one of Germany's most popular athletes. Best female athlete 2007 in Germany.
Sports career
For the first time, Magdalena’s parents brought her to the biathlon section at the age of nine, where she immediately really liked it. Even then, her talent was evident, but the decision to seriously concentrate on the sports field was made already at the age of sixteen, after graduating from school. The results at the lower levels of the biathlon competitive hierarchy were not long in coming: Magdalena is a seven-time world youth biathlon champion and a multiple winner of national youth biathlon championships in Germany. In 2005, in Germany, sports journalists recognized her as the junior athlete of the year. Lena won her first medals from the Junior World Championships back in 2004, when she won the relay and pursuit, and also finished second in the sprint. A year later, she took home three more medals from a similar championship: gold in the sprint and two silvers (in pursuit and relay). The 2006 Junior World Championships were also marked for Neuner with three awards: two gold (pursuit and relay) and one silver for her performance in the sprint. At her last junior world championship in 2007, the German was content with victories in the sprint and pursuit.
These successes opened the way for her to the second most important echelon of world biathlon - the European Cup competition. In the 2005/2006 season. Magdalena won three stages of the European Cup (final fifth place in the overall standings) and became a bronze medalist at the 2006 European Championships in the relay. Victories in the European Cup allowed the head coach of the German national team Uwe Müssigang to send an athlete to the World Cup.
Magdalena Neuner's debut in the World Cup took place on January 13, 2006, as a reservist instead of Usha Diesl, who was temporarily out of action. The first race, a sprint in Ruhpolding, Germany, turned out to be unsuccessful for her - 41st final place without scoring points in the overall World Cup standings. But a few weeks later, on March 16, 2006, in Kontiolahti, Finland, Magdalena managed to finish fourth.
The following season, on January 5, 2007, she won her first race - a 7.5 km sprint. Magdalena's distinctive style at the beginning of the 2006/2007 season was a very fast move along the track, but uncertain shooting, especially from a standing position. Therefore many sports commentators and experts consider her to be the direct “heir” of Uschi Diesl, an outstanding German biathlete who had the same characteristics. Although on this occasion Magdalena personally remarked: “Every person is unique. I will not be the second Uschi Diesl, but the first Magdalena Neuner.” However, by the end of the season, the athlete managed to significantly improve her shooting performance and win a number of races at the Biathlon World Championships and two last stages World Cup 2006/2007. As a result, at the beginning of 2007 in Germany, Magdalena Neuner was recognized as the best athlete in winter species sport at the end of the 2006/2007 season and was recognized as the best sports team(German women's biathlon relay team). At the end of 2007, German sports journalists chose her as the best female athlete in Germany for the entire year.
In addition to biathlon, Magdalena enjoys music (playing the harp), motorcycles and handicrafts. Officially, she is listed as a customs employee. In addition to his native German, he speaks English. Among fans, sports journalists and fellow athletes, she is known by the diminutive name "Lena" and has the nickname "Shooting star", itself a play on words: on English this phrase means “meteor”, and is literally translated as “shooting star” - which quite accurately reflects Magdalena’s occupation and fans’ perception of her.
Shooting Neuner
The average shooting accuracy for his career is 74%. Magdalena had the highest percentage of shooting accuracy in her debut season - 78%. In the 2006-2007 season, the average percentage of accurate hits dropped to 70%; in her winning season of 2007-2008, this figure was 73%. In the 2008-2009 season it was 76% (this is the 78th result out of 113 participants). 73% of which Magdalena Neuner showed in the 2007-2008 season worst result among the World Cup winners (for comparison: Andrea Henkel - 84%, Katya Wilhelm - 87%, Sandrine Bailly - 81%). Neuner's shooting was a frequent topic of discussion in the German media.
Ski training Neuner
Neuner is one of the fastest biathletes in the world. In the 2006-2007 season, out of 24 races she ran, she was in the top three fastest over the distance in 19 races. The following season, in 19 of 25 races held, she showed best time at the distance, and in the remaining 6 she was in the top three. Magdalena is preparing very intensively for the season (during the preparatory cycle for the 2006-2007 World Cup, Neuner covered 5,300 km on skis and roller skis).
Winter Olympics 2010
The Olympics, currently taking place in Vancouver, were Magdalena’s first in her career. In her debut Olympic race, the 7.5-kilometer sprint, Magdalena, leading along the distance, had every chance of winning. But a mistake made at the second firing line was fatal. The time spent completing the penalty loop delayed Neuner's Olympic triumph, who ended up losing a second and five tenths to the representative of Slovakia, Anastasia Kuzmina. The result of the race for Magdalena was silver olympic medal and every chance of successful performance in the pursuit race.
2009/10
First stage in the 2009/10 season. in Ostersund, Sweden, Magdalena missed out due to a viral infection. Therefore, the report of her performances is carried out from the second stage in the Austrian Hochfilzen. At this stage, Neuner competed in the sprint and pursuit, finishing in 29th and 28th places respectively.
At the next stage in the Slovenian town of Pokljuka, Neuner took 18th in the individual race, and in the next two races Magdalena was on the podium both times, taking 3rd place in the sprint and 2nd place in the pursuit.
She missed the fourth stage of the World Cup at home in Oberhof, Germany, just like the first. This time due to back pain.
At the fifth stage in Ruhpolding, Magdalena showed excellent ski run, but unimportant shooting, and took two third places (in the sprint (2 misses) and mass start (5 misses)). And her completely unsuccessful shooting in the relay, where Lena “earned” 2 penalty loops, largely determined the fact that the German team ended up outside the prize podium.
The last pre-Olympic sixth stage in the highlands in the Italian Antholz-Anterselva became triumphant for Magdalena. In the individual race, for the first time this season, she climbed to the first step of the podium, which became her first victory in her life in this type of racing. Lena showed a magnificent ski training, and despite 3 penalty minutes, she came to the finish line first. In the next sprint race she again showed excellent physical fitness and with one miss on the stand-up she was again ahead of all her competitors, thereby securing her 16th individual victory at the World Cup stages. In the pursuit race that took place based on the results of the sprint, Magdalena had a chance to score a hat-trick at the stage, but a miss at the last shooting range allowed her teammate Andrea Henkel to get ahead of Lena and score a victory. Neuner finished second.
2008/09
According to the results of the 2008/2009 Biathlon World Cup (including the World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea), Magdalena Neuner took 4th place in the overall standings (891 points). The gap from the winner of the Big Crystal Globe Helena Jonsson and Katya Wilhelm, who took second place with the same number of points (952) (Jonsson won the BHG taking into account additional indicators), was 61 points, from the third place, which was taken by Tura Berger - 3 points. In the 2008-2009 season, Magdalena Neuner won the Small Crystal Globe in the individual races.
2007/08
Based on the results of the 2007/2008 Biathlon World Cup. out of ten stages (including the World Championships in Ostersund, Sweden), Magdalena Neuner took 1st place in the overall standings (818 points). The advantage over the closest pursuer, Sandrine Bailly, was 13 points. In general, the season turned out to be uneven for the athlete; even before it began, some sports commentators and journalists doubted Magdalena’s ability to consolidate the success achieved a year earlier, citing the “second year syndrome” among bright newcomers and illness during late pre-season preparation. The first stages did not really bring finishes on the podium, but they allowed us to gain a significant number of points both in the overall World Cup standings and in its individual disciplines. Starting from the stage in Slovenian Pokljuka, Magdalena’s results improved significantly, she managed to finish among the winners several times, both in personal and team competitions. Her first individual victory was in the 2007/2008 season. was a mass start in Oberhof, Thuringia, where the athlete finished with a very significant advantage with the German flag in her hands. The series of victories and podiums continued at the World Championships in Östersund, which was also included in the World Cup points standings, and its beginning was very disappointing for Magdalena - on her birthday, while leading in the sprint race on the track, she made three mistakes in standing shooting and ended up far behind the winners. But in the mass start, as well as women's and mixed relay the athlete became the world champion, and the team races were won by the German teams largely thanks to her participation. Next stage, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was successful in the sprint, but in the subsequent pursuit race, Magdalena got lost on the track and lost more than a 20-second advantage over Sandrine Bailly and was unable to impose a fight on either her or the other medalists. However, after another successful stage for her in Khanty-Mansiysk, Magdalena led the overall World Cup standings and won the “small globe” in the mass start, despite another upcoming race in this standings. Despite mediocre results in the final races in Holmenkollen, Norway, the athlete also won victories in the sprint and general classifications of the World Cup, since her main rivals Andrea Henkel and Sandrine Bailly performed even worse.
2006/2007
According to the results of the 2006/2007 Biathlon World Cup. out of nine stages (including the World Championships in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy), Magdalena Neuner took 4th place in the overall standings (720 points). The gap to the winner, Andrea Henkel, was 150 points, and the gap to third place, occupied by Anna-Karin Olofsson, was 140 points. The advantage over the closest pursuer, Florence Baverel-Robert, was 49 points.
The first full season in the World Cup was more than successful for Magdalena, although its beginning turned out to be inexpressive: the only success before the start of the “golden classics” (three stages in Oberhof, Ruhpolding and Antholz-Anterselva) was a silver medal in the relay in Hochfilzen, Austria. The first victory in her career came during the sprint race in Oberhof, but before the start of the World Championship, despite a couple more successes, few people took seriously the possibility of Magdalena participating in the fight for championship medals. All the more unexpected were her two victories in a row in the sprint and pursuit, and in the first race Magdalena did not make a single mistake and created such a big foundation for the pursuit that she confidently finished first there, despite four mistakes on the standing shooting range. third gold medal The athlete won as part of the German women's relay team. The series of victories and podiums continued after the World Championships; the final stage of the season in Khanty-Mansiysk was especially successful for Magdalena: 1 victory and 1 second place. On the other side, large number Misses in shooting and the confident performance of her rivals did not allow her to rise above fourth place in the overall World Cup standings, although the demonstrated potential left no doubt about Magdalena’s ability to fight for all the highest places and biathlon titles.
Magdalena Neuner, whose biography, sports career and personal life is presented in our article, is a legendary German biathlete, two-time Olympic champion and 12-time winner in various disciplines of the world championships.
Biography
Magdalena Neuner (photo in the article) was born in February 1987 in the small village of Wallgau near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a town in Bavaria (Germany). Lena was the second child of four children in the family. Magdalena's younger sister Anna is also involved in biathlon.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a world-famous ski resort, so it is not surprising that the girl began training in the ski section at the age of four. Five years later, while still just a child, Magdalena Neuner picked up a biathlon rifle for the first time, and since then this sport has become her only one.
Beginning of a professional career
Despite the fact that Lena’s talent began to manifest itself already in the first training sessions, her studies came first. Only after graduating from school was Neuner able to fully concentrate on training and performances.
The results were not long in coming: Magdalena reached the highest step of the podium at the World Youth Championships seven times. At the age of 18, she was recognized as the best young athlete of the year in Germany. These indicators attracted the attention of the head coach of the German national team, Uwe Mussigant, who began to attract her to perform in the main team.
Debut season in the World Cup
In January 2006, largely thanks to the injury of the legendary Magdalena Neuner, she took part in the most prestigious biathlon tournament for the first time. The debut was unsuccessful - in the sprint on the Ruhpolding track she took 41st place and did not score her first qualifying points.
Lena corrected her mistake in the next pursuit race, where she was able to win back 20 positions. At the next stage in Antholz, Italy, she became 19th in the sprint and 11th in the pursuit. But Neuner did not go to the Olympics in Turin - she could not yet compete with much eminent athletes for a place in the German team.
At the World Cup stage in Kontiolahti, Finland, the biathlete attended the flower ceremony for the first time - she stopped one step away from the top places in the sprint race. In total, in the 2005/06 season, Magdalena Neuner participated in 10 races, scored 164 points and took 34th place in the overall ranking.
New "Queen of Biathlon"
After a not very successful starting stage in Ostersund, the ascent of biathlete Magdalena Neuner to world fame began. First, she became second in the relay team in Hochfilzen, and on January 5, 2007, her finest hour came. On the Oberhof track, she became the winner in the sprint and bronze medalist in the pursuit race.
Thanks to her first individual victories, Neuner was able to secure a place on the relay team. That season she became second in Ruhpolding and the winner at the World Championships in Antholz. But this could not compare with her individual indicators: Lena became two-time champion world (in sprint and pursuit), and also won two victories each at the World Cup stages in Holmenkollen and Khanty-Mansiysk.
According to the results of the season, Magdalena Neuner scored 720 credit points and became fourth, behind only compatriots Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, as well as Swede Anna Karin Olofsson.
The invincible "Golden Girl" of German biathlon
Magdalena Neuner began the 2007/08 season as one of the main contenders for victory in the World Cup. But in the first two stages, Lena did not please her fans at all. The reason for this was the catastrophic situation with shooting accuracy, especially in a standing position. Even the athlete’s “reactive” speed on the track could not correct the situation.
Starting from the stage in Pokljuka, where Neuner was the best in the relay, Magdalena gradually gained momentum. She won the mass start in Oberhof, then became a three-time world champion in Ostersund (in the women's and mixed relay, as well as in the mass start), and was the best in the sprint in Pyeongchang and Khanty-Mansiysk. Having ultimately scored 818 points, she became the owner of the large Crystal Globe as the best biathlete of the season.
In the next World Cup, Lena did not slow down. She climbed to the podium 10 times, and 6 times to the highest step. However, this time competition both within the team and from other biathletes did not allow her to become the best again. According to the results of the season, Magdalena Neuner took 4th place in the overall ranking.
Olympic triumph
Lena began preparing for the Olympics in Vancouver from the third stage of the World Cup in Pokljuka, where she became third in the sprint and second in the pursuit. Having missed the stage in her native Oberhof due to injury, Neuner again stood on the podium twice in Ruhpolding, and then left no chance for anyone in the individual and sprint races in Antholz.
At her first and, as it turned out, last Olympics in her career, Magdalena was supposed to win the sprint, but due to one mistake she lost to the Slovakian Kuzmina. In the pursuit race, Neuner left no chance for any of her competitors and became an Olympic champion, and a few days later she added another gold medal to her collection for winning the mass start.
In addition to her victories at the Olympics, the biathlete finished the season quite smoothly and won the Crystal Globe for the second time.
Sudden departure of a star
In the next season, Magdalena Neuner showed fantastic results- she only once did not enter the top ten according to the finishing protocols. However, due to missed races due to illness, she became only fifth at the World Cup stages.
Lena started the 2011/12 season simply brilliantly. At the very first stage in Östersund, she became the best in the sprint and twice third - in the individual race and pursuit. Magdalena Neuner missed only three races throughout the entire season, stood on the podium 20 times, and won 11 times. At the end of the year, she scored 1216 credit points and again took first place. In this regard, the German biathlete’s statement about the completion of sports career.
Failed career as a fashion model
In 2007, the beautiful and very popular athlete was noticed in Playboy magazine, but the eighteen-year-old biathlete refused to conduct a candid photo shoot. Magdalena Neuner later starred in an advertisement for underwear from the famous brand Mey.
Personal life
Magdalena Neuner is famous not only for her victories and titles, but also for her natural beauty. Like many others professional athletes, Lena’s personal life depended on her training and competition schedule, so her personal life was difficult. It is not surprising that her first serious relationship was an affair with Austrian biathlete Franz Perwein, whom the girl met at junior tournaments. The couple seemed happy and strong, but two years later they separated.
After the breakup, Magdalena Neuner got a serviceman for the German national team, Bjorn Weisheit, who was almost 15 years older than her. After a year and a half, they separated culturally and even continued to work in the same team.
At the end of 2009, the biathlete announced that she had fallen in love again. As it turned out, her childhood friend became her lover - a simple carpenter from Magdalena’s native village named Joseph Holzer. Until now, most Neuner fans believe that it was because of this relationship that the “Queen of Biathlon” decided to end her professional career at the very peak of her form and worldwide fame.
In March 2014, Magdalena, already pregnant, married Josef, and two months later gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Verena-Anne.
Loyal German fans expected that after the birth of the child, Lena, like many athletes, would return to biathlon. But they were disappointed - in November 2016, the “Golden Girl” gave birth to a son, who was named Joseph.
Now Magdalena Neuner devotes most of her time to her family, with whom she lives in her native Garmisch-Partenkirchen. They still meet with their fans and promote skiing, and the legend of German and world biathlon loves to knit.
Magdalena Neuner is a famous German athlete, biathlete, who has reached unprecedented heights in at a young age and announced the end of her sports career at the age of 25, in 2011.
Magdalena was born in a village near the Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the village of Wallgau, on February 9, 1987. In addition to Lena, other children were raised in the family of Paul and Margit Neuner: the athlete’s older brother Paul, as well as the younger ones - Christoph and sister Anna.
The younger sister followed in the footsteps of her elder sister and also took up biathlon as a child, which, however, is not surprising, because Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a famous ski resort, so the locals absorb their love for winter sports with their mother's milk. From the age of four, little Magdalena was a member of the SC Wallgau ski club, and at nine, her parents sent the girl to the biathlon section. Magdalena's coach was an experienced master of his craft, Bernhard Krell.
The future champion began to participate professionally in competitions only after graduating from school, at the age of sixteen.
Sport
From the very beginning, the biathlete’s career was successful. The girl showed brilliant results, winning seven medals at the German junior biathlon championships. Lena achieved her first award at the youth championship in 2004; in 2005, at a similar championship, the athlete received a gold medal for winning the sprint and a silver medal for the pursuit and relay.
Magdalena managed to repeat this achievement at the junior championships two more times: in 2006 and 2007. 2006 was a decisive year for the athlete, since in the 2005/2006 season she was entrusted with participation in competitions for the European Cup. The girl took fifth place in the overall ranking, won three races, which became a kind of pass to the world big sport. By that time, the athlete’s height was already 165 cm, and her weight was 56 kg.
In January 2006, the Bavarian made her debut at the World Cup Championship. Being part of the reserve team, she replaced Uschi Disl and took 41st place, but in the next competition, held in Kontiolahti on March 16, she finished fourth. From this moment on, in brilliant sports biography The young biathlete began a series of victories, with the rare exception of misses.
2007 was the year for Neuner in every sense words to the stars. In January, the talented athlete won the World Cup sprint and won three gold medals at the World Championships. At the age of 20, Magdalena became the youngest three-time world champion, and at the same time in her homeland she was chosen for the first time as the best athlete of the year.
Since the end of 2007, Magdalena Neuner periodically experienced health problems. After the races, the girl began to have a severe cough, which reporters attributed to asthma attacks. But the athlete and her coach did not make statements about a serious illness. Most likely, Magdalena simply caught a cold each time.
In the same year, three more awards awaited her: victory at the World Cup in the overall standings and two Small Crystal Globes. The 2008-2009 season was not the most successful for Magdalena. Overall she took fourth place, but won the Small World Cup in the individual race.
The next championship brought Neuner victory in the overall World Cup and in the mixed relay. In the same 2010, the biathlete won the Malyi for the fourth time. crystal globe and another Crystal Globe, confirming her status as the country's best athlete.
A year later, in 2011, Magdalena won the sprint race and the overall World Cup, becoming the owner of three bronze medals. In December 2011, the 25-year-old girl announced her retirement from her career, the brightest and most dizzying in the history of biathlon. Commenting on her retirement from sports in an interview, Magdalena noted that she pins her hopes on her colleague. In a conversation with a reporter, the girl also denied speculation about her future coaching career.
Winter Olympic Games 2010 became Magdalena’s debut and the only one in her career. In the sprint race, the girl had every chance of success, but an unfortunate mistake prevented her from receiving this award. As a result, the German biathlete was surpassed by an athlete from Slovakia, and Neuner received a silver medal.
The young champion won the other two medals, winning the pursuit and the general start race, showing brilliant results. The gold medals made the girl a two-time Olympic champion in biathlon, for which she was awarded a special honor: at the closing of the Olympic Games, Magdalena was entrusted with carrying the banner of the German national team.
Despite being constantly busy, exhausting training and regular participation in championships and other competitions, Magdalena also finds time for personal hobbies. Lena is a versatile person; she enjoys playing the harp, motorcycles and knitting. These hobbies require time, which is not easy to find between professional sports activities. Magdalena did not stay away from the fashion for tattoos - on the athlete’s right shoulder there is an image in the form of a Chinese character.
Neuner's official position is customs officer. Fans and sports colleagues lovingly call Magdalena Shooting star, which in the classic translation from English means “meteor”, and literally “shooting star”. A beautiful nickname that accurately reflects the character and professional qualities of the young biathlete.
Friends and relatives know Magdalena as a cheerful person; it’s not for nothing that the girl smiles in many photos. Bright appearance and natural charm played a role when Neuner became famous: in February 2007, she was offered to participate in a candid photo shoot for a famous magazine. The girl refused to publish her photos in Playboy, but three years later she happily starred in an advertisement for Mey brand lingerie.
Since 2012, Magdalena Neuner has been realizing her talent as a TV presenter. The athlete works as a commentator on sporting events in biathlon. Neuner started as a reporter Summer Olympics in London from the Adidas brand. Two years later it became known that Neuner would work in Russia at the Olympics in Sochi. The biathlete twice - in 2015 and 2017 - appeared as an expert on the German television company ARD. The athlete professionally evaluates the work of her colleagues and creates interesting reports.
Personal life
One day, the German press told fans of the famous athlete that she was dating her Austrian colleague Franz Peirwin. The romance lasted about two years, and in 2008 the couple broke up. A year later, there were changes in the biathlete’s personal life. In 2009, Magdalena announced a relationship with former classmate Josef Holzer, a simple carpenter from her native Wallgau.
The wedding took place on March 29, 2014. The athlete was already pregnant at that time. On May 30, Lena gave birth to a girl, who was named Verena-Anna. After retiring from her career, the athlete enjoys a quiet life with her husband and daughter.
In May 2016, Magdalena Neuner announced that she was expecting a child again. The couple had a son in November. Happy parents gave the boy the name Joseph.
Now Magdalena has a personal profile in “ Instagram", there is a page in "
Date of birth: 09.02.1987
Citizenship: Germany
German biathlete, six-time biathlon world champion. Silver medalist at the 2010 Olympic Games in sprint. The youngest overall World Cup winner (2007/08 season) in history. Three-time world champion in summer biathlon. After winning 3 gold medals at the World Championships in 2007, Neuner became one of Germany's most popular athletes. Best female athlete 2007 in Germany.
Sports career
For the first time, Magdalena’s parents brought her to the biathlon section at the age of nine, where she immediately really liked it. Even then, her talent was evident, but the decision to seriously concentrate on the sports field was made already at the age of sixteen, after graduating from school. The results at the lower levels of the biathlon competitive hierarchy were not long in coming: Magdalena is a seven-time world youth biathlon champion and a multiple winner of national youth biathlon championships in Germany. In 2005, in Germany, sports journalists recognized her as the junior athlete of the year. Lena won her first medals from the Junior World Championships back in 2004, when she won the relay and pursuit, and also finished second in the sprint. A year later, she took home three more medals from a similar championship: gold in the sprint and two silvers (in pursuit and relay). The 2006 Junior World Championships were also marked for Neuner with three awards: two gold (pursuit and relay) and one silver for her performance in the sprint. At her last junior world championship in 2007, the German was content with victories in the sprint and pursuit.
These successes opened the way for her to the second most important echelon of world biathlon - the European Cup competition. In the 2005/2006 season. Magdalena won three stages of the European Cup (final fifth place in the overall standings) and became a bronze medalist at the 2006 European Championships in the relay. Victories in the European Cup allowed the head coach of the German national team, Uwe Mussigang, to enter the athlete for the World Cup.
Magdalena Neuner's debut in the World Cup took place on January 13, 2006, as a reservist instead of Usha Diesl, who was temporarily out of action. The first race, a sprint in Ruhpolding, Germany, turned out to be unsuccessful for her - 41st final place without scoring points in the overall World Cup standings. But a few weeks later, on March 16, 2006, in Kontiolahti, Finland, Magdalena managed to finish fourth.
The following season, on January 5, 2007, she won her first race - a 7.5 km sprint. Magdalena's distinctive style at the beginning of the 2006/2007 season was a very fast move along the track, but uncertain shooting, especially from a standing position. Therefore, many sports commentators and experts consider her to be the direct “heir” of Uschi Diesl, an outstanding German biathlete who had the same characteristics. Although on this occasion Magdalena personally remarked: “Every person is unique. I will not be the second Uschi Diesl, but the first Magdalena Neuner.” However, by the end of the season, the athlete managed to significantly improve her shooting performance and win a number of races at the Biathlon World Championships and the last two stages of the 2006/2007 World Cup. As a result, at the beginning of 2007 in Germany, Magdalena Neuner was recognized as the best athlete in winter sports based on the results of the 2006/2007 season and joined the recognized best sports team (German women's biathlon relay team). At the end of 2007, German sports journalists chose her as the best female athlete in Germany for the entire year.
In addition to biathlon, Magdalena enjoys music (playing the harp), motorcycles and handicrafts. Officially, she is listed as a customs employee. In addition to his native German, he speaks English. Among fans, sports journalists and fellow athletes, she is known by the diminutive name "Lena" and has the nickname "Shooting star", itself a play on words: in English this phrase means "meteor", and literally translates as "shooting star" " - which quite accurately reflects the occupation and perception of Magdalena by fans.
Shooting Neuner
The average shooting accuracy for his career is 74%. Magdalena had the highest percentage of shooting accuracy in her debut season - 78%. In the 2006-2007 season, the average percentage of accurate hits dropped to 70%; in her winning season of 2007-2008, this figure was 73%. In the 2008-2009 season it was 76% (this is the 78th result out of 113 participants). The 73% that Magdalena Neuner showed in the 2007-2008 season became the worst result among the World Cup winners (for comparison: Andrea Henkel - 84%, Katya Wilhelm - 87%, Sandrine Bailly - 81%). Neuner's shooting was a frequent topic of discussion in the German media.
Ski training Neuner
Neuner is one of the fastest biathletes in the world. In the 2006-2007 season, out of 24 races she ran, she was in the top three fastest over the distance in 19 races. The following season, in 19 of the 25 races held, she showed the best time over the distance, and in the remaining 6 she was in the top three. Magdalena is preparing very intensively for the season (during the preparatory cycle for the 2006-2007 World Cup, Neuner covered 5,300 km on skis and roller skis).
Winter Olympics 2010
The Olympics, currently taking place in Vancouver, were Magdalena’s first in her career. In her debut Olympic race, the 7.5-kilometer sprint, Magdalena, leading along the distance, had every chance of winning. But a mistake made at the second firing line was fatal. The time spent completing the penalty loop delayed Neuner's Olympic triumph, who ended up losing a second and five tenths to the representative of Slovakia, Anastasia Kuzmina. The result of the race for Magdalena was an Olympic silver medal and every chance of successful performance in the pursuit race.
2009/10
First stage in the 2009/10 season. in Ostersund, Sweden, Magdalena missed out due to a viral infection. Therefore, the report of her performances is carried out from the second stage in the Austrian Hochfilzen. At this stage, Neuner competed in the sprint and pursuit, finishing in 29th and 28th places respectively.
At the next stage in the Slovenian town of Pokljuka, Neuner took 18th in the individual race, and in the next two races Magdalena was on the podium both times, taking 3rd place in the sprint and 2nd place in the pursuit.
She missed the fourth stage of the World Cup at home in Oberhof, Germany, just like the first. This time due to back pain.
At the fifth stage in Ruhpolding, Magdalena showed excellent skiing, but poor shooting, and took two third places (in the sprint (2 misses) and the mass start (5 misses)). And her completely unsuccessful shooting in the relay, where Lena “earned” 2 penalty loops, largely determined the fact that the German team ended up outside the prize podium.
The last pre-Olympic sixth stage in the highlands in the Italian Antholz-Anterselva became triumphant for Magdalena. In the individual race, for the first time this season, she climbed to the first step of the podium, which became her first victory in her life in this type of racing. Lena showed excellent skiing skills, and despite 3 penalty minutes, she came to the finish line first. In the next sprint race, she again demonstrated excellent physical shape and, with one penalty on the standing rack, was again ahead of all competitors, thereby scoring her 16th individual victory at the World Cup stages. In the pursuit race that took place based on the results of the sprint, Magdalena had a chance to score a hat-trick at the stage, but a miss at the last shooting range allowed her teammate Andrea Henkel to get ahead of Lena and score a victory. Neuner finished second.
2008/09
According to the results of the 2008/2009 Biathlon World Cup (including the World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea), Magdalena Neuner took 4th place in the overall standings (891 points). The gap from the winner of the Big Crystal Globe Helena Jonsson and Katya Wilhelm, who took second place with the same number of points (952) (Jonsson won the BHG taking into account additional indicators), was 61 points, from the third place, which was taken by Tura Berger - 3 points. In the 2008-2009 season, Magdalena Neuner won the Small Crystal Globe in the individual races.
2007/08
Based on the results of the 2007/2008 Biathlon World Cup. out of ten stages (including the World Championships in Ostersund, Sweden), Magdalena Neuner took 1st place in the overall standings (818 points). The advantage over the closest pursuer, Sandrine Bailly, was 13 points. In general, the season turned out to be uneven for the athlete; even before it began, some sports commentators and journalists doubted Magdalena’s ability to consolidate the success achieved a year earlier, citing the “second year syndrome” among bright newcomers and illness during late pre-season preparation. The first stages did not really bring finishes on the podium, but they allowed us to gain a significant number of points both in the overall World Cup standings and in its individual disciplines. Starting from the stage in Pokljuka, Slovenia, Magdalena’s results improved significantly; she managed to finish among the medalists several times, both in individual and team competitions. Her first individual victory was in the 2007/2008 season. was a mass start in Oberhof, Thuringia, where the athlete finished with a very significant advantage with the German flag in her hands. The series of victories and podiums continued at the World Championships in Östersund, which was also included in the World Cup points standings, and its beginning was very disappointing for Magdalena - on her birthday, while leading in the sprint race on the track, she made three mistakes in standing shooting and ended up far behind the winners. But in the mass start, as well as in the women's and mixed relay races, the athlete became the world champion, and the team races were won by the German teams largely thanks to her participation. The next stage, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was successful in the sprint, but in the subsequent pursuit race Magdalena got lost on the track and lost more than a 20-second advantage over Sandrine Bailly and was unable to impose a fight on either her or the other medalists. However, after another successful stage for her in Khanty-Mansiysk, Magdalena led the overall World Cup standings and won the “small globe” in the mass start, despite another upcoming race in this standings. Despite mediocre results in the final races in Holmenkollen, Norway, the athlete also won victories in the sprint and general classifications of the World Cup, since her main rivals Andrea Henkel and Sandrine Bailly performed even worse.
2006/2007
According to the results of the 2006/2007 Biathlon World Cup. out of nine stages (including the World Championships in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy), Magdalena Neuner took 4th place in the overall standings (720 points). The gap to the winner, Andrea Henkel, was 150 points, and the gap to third place, occupied by Anna-Karin Olofsson, was 140 points. The advantage over the closest pursuer, Florence Baverel-Robert, was 49 points.
The first full season in the World Cup was more than successful for Magdalena, although its beginning turned out to be inexpressive: the only success before the start of the “golden classics” (three stages in Oberhof, Ruhpolding and Antholz-Anterselva) was a silver medal in the relay in Hochfilzen, Austria. The first victory in her career came during the sprint race in Oberhof, but before the start of the World Championship, despite a couple more successes, few people took seriously the possibility of Magdalena participating in the fight for championship medals. All the more unexpected were her two victories in a row in the sprint and pursuit, and in the first race Magdalena did not make a single mistake and created such a big foundation for the pursuit that she confidently finished first there, despite four mistakes on the standing shooting range. The athlete won her third gold medal as part of the German women's relay team. The series of victories and podiums continued after the World Championships; the final stage of the season in Khanty-Mansiysk was especially successful for Magdalena: 1 victory and 1 second place. On the other hand, a large number of shooting mistakes and the confident performance of her rivals did not allow her to rise above fourth place in the overall World Cup standings, although the demonstrated potential left no doubt about Magdalena’s ability to fight for all the highest places and biathlon titles.
Awards
Sportswoman of the Year in Germany - 2007.
Biathlete Rookie of the Year - 2007.
Biathlete of the Year - 2007, 2008.
Winner of the Association's Golden Ski ski types Germany (DSV) - 2007, 2008.
Biathlete of the season at Forum Nordicum - 2008.
Personal life
Neuner has lived in the small Bavarian town of Wallgau since his birth. In 2007, she bought an apartment here for her grandmother. Neuner dated and corresponded for two years with former Austrian biathlete Franz Peirwien, whom she met during the 2006 Biathlon Youth World Championships. In January 2008 they separated. Magdalena enjoys knitting and this was often mentioned in the media. She has a blog dedicated to knitting. In February 2007, Neuner rejected an offer from Playboy magazine
Magdalena Neuner(German Magdalena Neuner; born February 9, 1987, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany) is a German biathlete, one of the most titled athletes in the history of this sport. Double Olympic champion 2010, 12-time world champion (a record among women), three-time World Cup winner (2007/08, 2009/10, 2011/12), winner of seven small World Cups, three-time world champion in summer biathlon. The best sportswoman of the year in Germany 2007, 2011 and 2012.
Sports career
Magdalena spent her childhood in the small Bavarian village of Wallgau, 15 km from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Study alpine skiing she started at the age of four. Later, as a member of the SC Wallgau ski club, she tried herself in various winter sports. Magdalena’s parents brought her to the biathlon section at the age of nine, where she immediately really liked it. Even then, her talent manifested itself, but the decision to seriously perform in the sports field was made by Neuner only at the age of sixteen, after graduating from school. Results on entry levels The biathlon competitive hierarchy was not long in coming: in the first four years of her competition, Magdalena won seven top awards in the world youth biathlon championships and became a multiple winner of the national youth biathlon championships in Germany. Lena won her first medals from the Junior World Championships back in 2004, when she won victories in the relay and sprint, and also finished second in the pursuit race. A year later, she took home three more medals from similar competitions: gold in the sprint and two silvers (in the pursuit and relay). The 2006 Junior World Championships were also marked for Neuner with three awards: two gold (in the pursuit and relay) and one silver for her performance in the sprint. At her last junior world championship in 2008, Neuner again won victories in the sprint and pursuit. These successes opened the way for her to the second most important echelon of world biathlon - the European Biathlon Cup. In the 2005/2006 season, Magdalena won three races and finished fifth in the overall standings. Such significant results allowed the head coach of the German national team, Uwe Müssigang, to include Neuner in the main national team to participate in the World Cup.
Magdalena Neuner's debut in the World Cup took place on January 13, 2006, where she, acting as a reserve, replaced the temporarily out of action Uschi Diesl. The first race, a sprint in Ruhpolding, Germany, turned out to be unsuccessful for her - 41st final place without scoring points in the overall World Cup standings. But a few weeks later, on March 16, in Finnish Kontiolahti, Magdalena managed to finish fourth.
Neuner won her first World Cup victory the following year. On January 5, 2007, Magdalena had no equal in the 7.5 km sprint. A little later, the first victories at the World Championships came - in Anterselva, Neuner showed outstanding results, winning individual victories in the sprint and pursuit, and taking her third gold as part of the relay team. Thus, Neuner became the youngest three-time biathlon world champion in history. As a result, at the beginning of 2007 in Germany, Magdalena Neuner was recognized as the best athlete in winter sports at the end of the season and entered the recognized best sports team (the German women's biathlon team). At the end of the year, German sports journalists chose her as the best female athlete of the year in Germany.
The next season brought Magdalena three more highest awards World Championship (in Ostersund she had no equal in the race from the general start, and the German relay teams - in the relay and mixed doubles), victory in the overall World Cup and two Small Crystal Globes (in sprint races and races from a general start).
The 2008/2009 season was not as successful for Neuner as the previous ones. Despite the fact that at the end of the season she won another Small Crystal Globe for herself (this time in individual races), she failed to win a single personal award at the Pyeongchang World Championships, nor did she achieve significant success in the World Cup - according to At the end of the season, Lena was left behind the overall winners.
