Laura Dahlmeier (German pronunciation: [ˈlaʊ.̯ʁa ˈdaːlˌmaɪ̯ɐ] ; born 22 August 1993) is a retired German biathlete. Dahlmeier started in her first world cup races in the 2012/13 season.[2] In 2014, she participated in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She won a record of five gold medals at the World Championships of 2017. In 2018 she became the first woman to win the biathlon sprint and pursuit in the same Olympics.[3] During her career she has won a total of two golds and one bronze at the Olympics, seven gold medals, three silver medals and five bronze medals at World Championships, one overall World Cup and two discipline World Cup titles. Dahlmeier announced her retirement from competition in May 2019, at the age of 25.[4] In October 2019, she released a children's book.

Laura Dahlmeier
Dahlmeier in 2018
Personal information
NationalityGerman
Born (1993-08-22) 22 August 1993 (age 30)
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)[1]
Weight52 kg (115 lb)
Websitehttp://www.laura-dahlmeier.de/
Professional information
SportBiathlon
ClubSC Partenkirchen
World Cup debut2013
Olympic Games
Teams2 (2014, 2018)
World Championships
Teams5 (20132019)
World Cup
Seasons7 2012/132018/19
Individual races124
All races152
Overall titles1: 2016/17
Discipline titles2:
1 Individual (2016–17)
1 Pursuit (2016–17)
Medal record
Women's biathlon
Representing  Germany
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 1
World Championships 7 3 5
Total 9 3 6
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Pyeongchang 7.5 km sprint
Gold medal – first place 2018 Pyeongchang 10 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Pyeongchang 15 km individual
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Kontiolahti 4 × 6 km relay
Gold medal – first place 2016 Oslo 10 km pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2017 Hochfilzen 10 km pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2017 Hochfilzen 15 km individual
Gold medal – first place 2017 Hochfilzen 12.5 km mass start
Gold medal – first place 2017 Hochfilzen 4 × 6 km relay
Gold medal – first place 2017 Hochfilzen Mixed relay
Silver medal – second place 2015 Kontiolahti 10 km pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2016 Oslo 12.5 km mass start
Silver medal – second place 2017 Hochfilzen 7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Oslo 15 km individual
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Oslo 7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Oslo 4 × 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Östersund 7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Östersund 10 km pursuit
World Cup
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Sprint 4 9 4
Pursuit 11 4 3
Mass Start 4 5 2
Individual 3 0 2
Relay 12 3 3
Mixed Relay 1 1 0
Total 35 22 14
  • WC podiums including the Olympic games and World championships races
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Obertilliach 12.5 km individual
Gold medal – first place 2013 Obertilliach 7.5 km sprint
Gold medal – first place 2013 Obertilliach 3 × 6 km relay
Silver medal – second place 2013 Obertilliach 10 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Nové Město 10 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Nové Město 3 × 6 km relay
European Youth Olympic Winter Festival
Gold medal – first place 2011 Liberec 10 km individual
Gold medal – first place 2011 Liberec 6 km sprint
Gold medal – first place 2011 Liberec Mixed relay

Career edit

Biathlon career edit

At the 2013 Biathlon Junior World Championships in Obertilliach, Austria, Dahlmeier took three gold medals in the individual, sprint and relay, as well as a silver in the pursuit. Following this, she was selected for the German team in the women's relay at the 2013 Biathlon World Championships: racing in the third leg, she shot clean and overcame a 38 second deficit to hand over with Germany in the lead. Dahlmeier completed her first full World Cup campaign the following season: she enjoyed further success in World Cup relays, however she was unable to secure a solo podium finish, and did not make an impact at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[4]

Dahlmeier's start to her 2014–15 season was delayed due to injury, and she made her World Cup season debut at Pokljuka in December 2014. Two months later she took her first World Cup win in Nové Město na Moravě, following which she took another six podiums, including a second win, and her first two senior World Championship medals, a silver in the pursuit and a gold in the women's relay.

In 2015–16 she took five World Cup wins, and at the World Championships in Oslo she took her first solo gold medal in the pursuit along with a silver in the mass start and bronzes in the sprint, individual and women's relay.[4]

Dahlmeier enjoyed her best season in 2016–17, winning the overall World Cup and winning five golds and a silver at the World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, missing out on a sixth gold by four seconds in the sprint to Gabriela Koukalová. She became the first woman in biathlon history to win five gold medals at a World Championships.[5]

The following season Dahlmeier's focus was on the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang: at the Games she became the second German woman to take the Olympic gold in the sprint, shooting clean as one of only three competitors to hit all targets in windy conditions, before doubling up with a second title in the pursuit and additionally taking a bronze in the individual.[4]

Dahlmeier's 2018–19 season was disrupted by illness, however she took a World Cup race win at Antholz in January 2019 before going on to take two bronzes at the 2019 World Championships in Östersund in the sprint and the pursuit. After the end of the season, in May 2019 she announced her retirement from competition, stating that she no longer feels the 100% passion necessary for professional biathlon.[4][6]

Post-biathlon career edit

On 18 October 2019, Dahlmeier released the children's book Die Klima Gang: Laura Dahlmeier und Freunde im Einsatz für die Natur, which she co-authored.

For the 2019-2020 Biathlon World Cup season, she served as an expert commentator for the German broadcaster ZDF.[7]

Since retiring from competitive biathlon Dahlmeier has competed in mountain running. In June 2019 she won the 39-kilometer Basetrail XL race of the Zugspitz Ultratrail in Grainau, Germany.[8] In September 2019 she won and set a new women's course record in the 52-kilometer Karwandelmarsch race from Scharnitz to Pertisau in Austria.[9] In November of that year she placed 27th at the 2019 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in Argentina.[10]

Biathlon results edit

All results are sourced from the International Biathlon Union.[11] On 17 May 2019, she announced her retirement from biathlon.[12]

Olympic Games edit

3 medals (2 gold, 1 bronze)

Year Age Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay Single mixed relay
  2014 Sochi 21 13th 46th 30th 11th DSQ
  2018 Pyeongchang 25 Bronze Gold Gold 16th 8th 4th
*The mixed relay was added as an event in 2014.

World Championships edit

15 medals (7 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze)

Year Age Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay Single mixed relay
  2013 Nové Město 20 5th
  2015 Kontiolahti 22 6th 4th Silver 7th Gold
  2016 Oslo 23 Bronze Bronze Gold Silver Bronze
  2017 Hochfilzen 24 Gold Silver Gold Gold Gold Gold
  2019 Östersund 26 4th Bronze Bronze 6th 4th
*During Olympic seasons competitions are only held for those events not included in the Olympic program.
**The single mixed relay was added as an event in 2019.

Junior World Championships edit

Year Age Sprint Pursuit Relay Mixed relay
  2011 Nové Město 18 12th 14th Bronze Bronze
  2012 Kontiolahti 19 16th 37th 34th 6th
  2013 Obertilliach 20 Gold Gold Silver Gold

European Youth Olympic Winter Festival edit

Year Age Individual Sprint Mixed relay
  2011 Liberec 18 Gold Gold Gold

World Cup edit

Season Overall Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start
Races Points Position Points Position Points Position Points Position Points Position
2012/13 7/26 220 35th 101 32nd 69 36th 50 29th
2013/14 17/22 410 15th 54 12th 138 23rd 145 14th 73 14th
2014/15 17/25 725 8th 81 8th 292 8th 224 4th 128 12th
2015/16 18/25 786 6th 80 10th 213 9th 265 5th 228 3rd
2016/17 24/26 1211 1st 180 1st 372 2nd 411 1st 254 2nd
2017/18 19/22 730 4th 252 4th 271 3rd 207 2nd
2018/19 15/25 554 12th 75 9th 191 10th 163 14th 125 13th

Shooting statistics edit

Season Overall Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass Start Relay
2012–13 90.0 (117/130) 0 (0/0) 96.7 (29/30) 82.5 (33/40) 87.5 (35/40) 99.9 (20/20)
2013–14 90.8 (336/370) 93.3 (56/60) 87.1 (61/70) 90.7 (127/140) 86.7 (52/60) 99.9(40/40)
2014–15 92.7 (290/313) 95.0 (38/40) 90.0 (63/70) 92.0 (92/100) 95.0 (57/60) 93.0 (40/43)
2015–16 91.6 (294/321) 90.0 (36/40) 85.0 (51/60) 95.0 (95/100) 92.0 (92/100) 95.2 (20/21)
2016–17 88.6 (444/501) 91.7 (55/60) 91.3 (73/80) 90.6 (145/160) 91.0 (91/100) 79.2 (80/101)
2017–18 90.6 (396/437) 87.5 (35/40) 90.0 (72/80) 94.3 (132/140) 89.2 (107/120) 87.7 (50/57)
2018–19 87.2 (251/288) 92.5 (37/40) 94.0 (47/50) 91.3 (73/80) 81.3 (65/80) 76.3 (29/38)

Key:Hits / shots, percentage. Results in all IBU World Cup races including relay events.[13]

Individual victories edit

  • 22 victories – (4 SP, 11 PU, 3 IN, 4 MS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level
1  2014/15 5 February 2015   Nové Město, Czech Republic 7.5 km Sprint World Cup
2 17 March 2015   Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 12.5 km Mass start World Cup
3  2015/16 12 December 2015   Hochfilzen, Austria 10 km Pursuit World Cup
4 19 December 2015   Pokljuka, Slovenia 10 km Pursuit World Cup
5 9 January 2016   Ruhpolding, Germany 10 km Pursuit World Cup
6 10 January 2016   Ruhpolding, Germany 12.5 km Mass Start World Cup
7 6 March 2016   Holmenkollen, Norway 10 km Pursuit World Championships
8  2016/17 30 November 2016   Östersund, Sweden 15 km Individual World Cup
9 9 December 2016   Pokljuka, Slovenia 7.5 km Sprint World Cup
10 10 December 2016   Pokljuka, Slovenia 10 km Pursuit World Cup
11 19 January 2017   Antholz, Italy 15 km Individual World Cup
12 12 February 2017   Hochfilzen, Austria 10 km Pursuit World Championships
13 15 February 2017   Hochfilzen, Austria 15 km Individual World Championships
14 19 February 2017   Hochfilzen, Austria 12.5 km Mass Start World Championships
15 2 March 2017   Pyeongchang, South Korea 7.5 km Sprint World Cup
16 4 March 2017   Pyeongchang, South Korea 10 km Pursuit World Cup
17 11 March 2017   Kontiolahti, Finland 10 km Pursuit World Cup
18  2017/18 16 December 2017   Annecy, France 10 km Pursuit World Cup
19 20 January 2018   Antholz, Italy 10 km Pursuit World Cup
20 10 February 2018   Pyeongchang, South Korea 7.5 km Sprint Winter Olympic Games
21 12 February 2018   Pyeongchang, South Korea 10 km Pursuit Winter Olympic Games
22  2018/19 27 January 2019   Antholz-Anterselva, Italy 12.5 km Mass Start World Cup
*Results are from IBU races which include the Biathlon World Cup, Biathlon World Championships and the Winter Olympic Games.

Relay victories edit

No. Season Date Location Level Teammate
1 2012–13 10 March 2013   Sochi, Russia World Cup Henkel, Sachenbacher-Stehle, Neureuther
2 2013-14 12 December 2013   Le Grand-Bornand, France Henkel, Preuss, Hildebrand
3 8 January 2014   Ruhpolding, Germany Sachenbacher-Stehle, Preuss, Hildebrand
4 2014–15 25 January 2015   Antholz, Italy Kummer, Preuss, Hildebrand
5 13 March 2015   Kontiolahti, Finland World Championships Hinz, Preuss, Hildebrand
6 2016–17 11 December 2016   Pokljuka, Slovenia World Cup Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Hildebrand
7 12 January 2017   Ruhpolding, Germany Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Preuss
8 22 January 2017   Antholz, Italy Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Hildebrand
9 9 February 2017   Hochfilzen, Austria World Championshpis Hinz, Peiffer, Schempp
10 17 February 2017   Hochfilzen, Austria Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Hildebrand)
11 2017–18 10 December 2017   Hochfilzen, Austria World Cup Hinz, Hildebrand, Hammerschmidt
12 13 January 2018   Ruhpolding, Germany Preuss, Herrmann-Wick, Hildebrand
13 2018–19 8 February 2019   Canmore, Canada Hildebrand, Hinz, Herrmann-Wick

Overall record edit

Result Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed
relay
Total
Individual events Team events All events
1st place 3 4 11 4 12 1 22 13 35
2nd place 9 4 5 3 1 18 4 22
3rd place 2 4 3 2 3 11 3 14
Podiums 5 17 18 11 18 2 51 20 71
4–10 5 13 13 9 4 1 40 5 45
11–20 3 6 6 4 1 19 1 20
21–40 7 2 3 12 12
41–60 1 1 1 3 3
Others 0
DNS 1 1 1
DNF 0
DSQ 1 1 1
Starts 15 44 40 27 23 4 126 27 153
* Results in IBU World Cup races, Olympics and World Championships.

References edit

  1. ^ "Profile".
  2. ^ "Über mich (German)". Laura Dahlmeier (personal homepage). Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  3. ^ "Martin Fourcade, Laura Dahlmeier win biathlon gold medals". Espn.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Laura Dahlmeier Retires". International Biathlon Union. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Germany's Dahlmeier wins record fifth biathlon gold". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  6. ^ Die Gier weicht der Ruhe, sueddeutsche, 20190517
  7. ^ zdf.de. "Als TV-Expertin - Laura Dahlmeier verstärkt ZDF-Team". ZDF. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  8. ^ "SALOMON ZUGSPITZ ULTRATRAIL 2019". Plan B Registration. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Laura Dahlmeier Siegt beim 11. Karwendelmarsch". Bergsteiger.de. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  10. ^ "WORLD LONG DISTANCE MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHALLENGE / CHAMPIONSHIPS - Women individual (41.5 km/+-2184m/84 participants)". World Mountain Running Association. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  11. ^ International Biathlon Union. Laura Dahlmeier. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  12. ^ Karolos Grohmann, Alexander Smith (17 May 2019). "Double Olympic champion Dahlmeier retires at 25". Reuters. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Laura Dahlmeier, photos". biathlon.com.ua. Retrieved 5 February 2023.

External links edit

Awards
Preceded by German Sportswoman of the Year
2017
Succeeded by