Illustration photo – Biathlon World Championships – Women's 15 km endurance race, 15 February 2023, Oberhof. Czech biathlete Tereza Voborníková (in the foreground).
Oberhof (Germany) – Michal Krčmář and Tereza Voborníková will run the Thursday mixed doubles relay at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof. Sports director Ondřej Rybář told Czech journalists. Twenty-two-year-old Voborníková will replace Markéta Davidová, who is suffering from problems with her vocal cords.
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Photo gallery: Biathlon WC in Oberhof
Krčmář and Voborniakova will go to the WC” />
Krčmář and Voborniakova will go to the WC” />
“It was decided between the four people who could ride the relay. In the end, Michal and Terka will ride it. We hope that they will manage to break the bad luck we have so far in this discipline,” said Rybář.
The 32-year-old Krčmář was in Oberhof eighth in the endurance race, before that 19th in the pursuit and 14th in the sprint. He entered the championship with fifth place in the mixed relay.
“There are four competitors here who were able to be fast on the shooting range and can run at least to a high standard. Michal hardly hesitated for a moment. He said that he was here to race, and if we put the relay together like this, then whether Makula is there, or Terka, they definitely see a chance. That's the best setup a competitor can have,” said Rybář.
Voborníková also completed the mixed relay. The native of Vrchlabí finished 18th in the sprint during her first participation in the WC, and in the pursuit race she finished seventh in her lifetime. Today's endurance race did not go well for her, she finished forty-fifth after five penalty minutes.
“Of course, Terka will be a bit worried about this, because she will be responsible. But she certainly has the form for it, and she is also stable on the shooting range to help the relay team. I will hope that thanks to the youth and experience represented, they will be able to do something. Terka is definitely there by right,” added Rybář.
In comparison to earlier races, the eighth woman of the World Cup, Davidová, is missing from the nomination, who is suffering from sore vocal cords. Just like Voborníková, she has Saturday's relay and Sunday's race with a mass start.
“Of course, she has a problem with her voice, but anyone who has been somewhere with her a few times knows that this is not exceptional and it happens. For example when you burn your bronchial tubes a few times,” Rybář described. “She has a bit of a hoarseness, but I don't think it limits her in any significant way. From what I've heard, she definitely doesn't want to make excuses for it and just takes it that her voice can be heard differently. I heard from her that it should affect the races he didn't hear even once,” added Rybář.
The Czechs are still waiting for greater success in the top events in the mixed doubles relay. Ondřej Moravec and Eva Puskarčíková achieved the best result at the World Championships in 2019, finishing ninth. Thursday's race in Oberhof will start at 15:10.
