Neuner Magdalena was born on February 9, 1987 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The Neuner family has four children: the elder brother Paul, as well as Christoph and Anna - the younger brother and sister of Magdalena. She spent all her childhood in the small Bavarian village of Walgau, where she later began to live. At the age of four, she began to engage in alpine skiing, was a member of the SC Wallgau ski club. At the age of nine, her parents brought her to the biathlon section, which she immediately liked. She proved herself to be a talented biathlete there, she decided to compete only from the age of sixteen, after graduating from school.
Good results in biathlon competitions showed up immediately. During the first four years of her performances, Neuner managed to win seven World Championship awards in the youth team. She received her first medal at the Junior Championship in 2004, having won the relay and sprint, and was also able to finish second in the race. On next year received three more medals in similar competitions. In 2006, at the junior competition, Neuner again won three awards: two gold and one silver medal. The year 2008 became her last junior championship, where the biathlete becomes the winner in the race and sprint.
Thanks to such successes, Magdalena received the right to compete for the European Cup. In the 2005/2006 season, he won three races and was ranked fifth in the overall standings. Such significant results allowed Neuner to be included in the national team for the World Cup. Magdalena made her debut at the World Cup on January 13, 2006, where she, being in the reserve, temporarily replaced Ushi Disl, who had been eliminated from the race. In the first race and sprint, she took only 41 place without points, but already at the competition in Kontiolahti on March 16, 2006, she finished fourth. She won her first World Cup victory the following year.
Having shown excellent results at the World Championship in Anterselva, she won her third gold medal, becoming a three-time Champion, the youngest in the history of biathlon. At the end of 2007 she was recognized by journalists as the best sportswoman of the year in Germany. The following season, she received three more awards in the World Championship: the World Cup and two Small Crystal Globes. The series of victories at the Championship in the city of Östersund continued. Made a significant contribution to the victory of the German team. Thus, completing the Championship as a six-time champion.
The 2008/2009 season was not so successful, although Magdalena received the Crystal Globe, but did not win a single personal award. She did not achieve significant success in the 2009/2010 World Cup. The most successful Olympic season in her sports career. The January stages did not bring her victories: second and third places, but already at the last stage in Fort Kent she collected a full collection of awards. She won her twentieth anniversary victory in Slovenia, although she made two mistakes, she still became the best in the race. Although the first stage of this season, Neuner missed due to illness. As a result, 3rd place in the sprint and 2nd in the race.
The next stage, which took place in Oberhof, Neuner missed due to a back injury, which she received during the warm-up before the first race. At the competition in Ruhpolding, she twice took 3rd place, but her performance on her home soil disappointed with the failure of the relay. At the last sixth stage, held in Antholz-Anterselva, Magdalena showed excellent preparation and came to the finish line first, despite the penalty minutes. Having made only one mistake in the sprint race, she nevertheless showed an excellent result, thereby obtaining her 16th personal victory in the World Cup.
In the city of Vancouver, at the debut Olympics, she won three awards and became two times Olympic champion... After the end of the Olympics, less than two weeks later, at a new stage in the town of Kontiolahti, Neuner took 5th place in the sprint and 2nd place in the race. At the penultimate stage, the biathlete wins the fourth Small Crystal Globe. At the final stage, he wins again and receives the second Crystal Globe of the season.
At the first stage of the 2011/2012 season, Magdalena wins bronze three times. Also in the city of Hochfilzen shows excellent results in sprint and racing. In the same year she completed her sports career.
German biathlete, six-time biathlon world champion. Silver medalist at the 2010 Olympic Games in the sprint. Youngest overall World Cup winner (2007/08 season) in history. Three-time world champion in summer biathlon... After winning 3 gold medals at the 2007 World Championships, Neuner became one of the most popular female athletes in Germany. Best female athlete 2007 in Germany.
Sports career
For the first time, her parents brought Magdalena 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 concentrate on the sports field was made already at the age of sixteen, after leaving school. The results at the lower levels of the biathlon competitive hierarchy were not long in coming: Magdalena is a seven-time world champion in biathlon among youth and a multiple winner of the national youth biathlon championships in Germany. In 2005, she was named the Junior Athlete of the Year in Germany by sports journalists. Lena won her first medals from the junior world championship back in 2004, when she won the relay and pursuit, and also finished second in the sprint. A year later, she took away three more medals from a similar championship: gold in the sprint and two silver (in pursuit and relay). The 2006 junior world championship was also marked by three awards for Neuner: two gold (pursuit and relay) and one silver for the sprint. At her last junior world championship in 2007, the German was content with sprint and pursuit victories.
These successes opened the way for her to the second most important echelon of the 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 the bronze medalist of the 2006 European Championship in the relay. The victories in the European Cup allowed the head coach of the German national team, Uwe Mussigang, to put the athlete in the World Cup.
Magdalena Neuner's debut in the World Cup took place on January 13, 2006, as a reservist instead of Uschi Disl, who was temporarily out of action. The first race, a sprint in Ruhpolding, Germany, was unsuccessful for her - 41st final place without points in the overall World Cup. But a few weeks later, on March 16, 2006, in the Finnish Kontiolahti Magdalena managed to finish fourth.
The following season, January 5, 2007, she won her first race - the 7.5 km sprint. Magdalena's distinctive style at the start of the 2006/2007 season was very high speed on the track, but hesitant shooting, especially from a standing position. Therefore, many sports commentators and experts consider her to be the direct "heiress" of Uschi Disl, an outstanding German biathlete who possessed the same characteristics. Although on this occasion Magdalena personally remarked: “Every person is unique. I will not be the second Ushi Disl, but I will be the first Magdalena Neuner. " However, by the end of the season, the athlete managed to significantly improve her shooting performance and won a number of races at the Biathlon World Championship 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 sportswoman in winter views sports at the end of the 2006/2007 season and entered the recognized best sports team(women's German biathlon team in the relay). At the end of 2007, German sports journalists selected her as the best female athlete in Germany of the entire year.
In addition to biathlon, Magdalena is fond of music (playing the harp), motorcycles and handicrafts. She is officially listed as a customs officer. 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", which in itself is a play on words: on English language this phrase means "meteor", and literally translates as "shooting star" - which quite accurately reflects the occupation and perception of the fans of Magdalena.
Shooting Neuner
Average shooting accuracy over a career - 74%. Magdalena had the highest percentage of stalk accuracy in her debut season - 78%. In the 2006-2007 season, the average percentage of accurate hits fell to 70%, in the winning season for 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 became worst result among the winners of the World Cup (for comparison: Andrea Henkel - 84%, Katya Wilhelm - 87%, Sandrine Bailly - 81%). Shooting Neuner often became a 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, in 19 she was in the top three fastest on the distance. The following season, in 19 out of 25 races held, she showed the best time at a distance, and in the remaining 6 I got into the top three. Magdalena conducts very intensive preparations for the season (during the preparatory cycle for the 2006-2007 World Cup, Neuner covered 5300 km on skis and roller skis).
Winter Olympics 2010
The Olympics, currently taking place in Vancouver, became the first in her career for Magdalena. In her debut Olympic race - the 7.5 km sprint, Magdalena, leading along the distance, had every chance of winning. But the mistake made at the second shooting range was fatal. The time spent on the penalty loop postponed the Olympic triumph of Neuner, who eventually lost a second and five-tenths to the representative of Slovakia Anastasia Kuzmina. The result of the race for Magdalena was a silver Olympic medal and all chances for successful performance in the pursuit race.
2009/10
The first stage in the 2009/10 season. in the Swedish Ostersund Magdalena missed due to a viral infection. Therefore, the report of her performances is conducted from the second stage in the Austrian Hochfilzen. At this stage, Neuner participated in the sprint and pursuit, finishing in 29th and 28th respectively.
At the next stage in the Slovenian town of Pokljuka, Neuner took 18th in individual race, and in the next two races Magdalena was on the podiums both times, finishing 3rd in the sprint and 2nd in the pursuit.
The fourth stage of the World Cup at home in Oberhof, Germany, was missed as well as the first. This time because of 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 penalties, largely determined the fact that the German national team was out of the prize podium.
The last pre-Olympic sixth stage in the highlands in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy, was triumphant for Magdalena. In the individual race, for the first time in the season, she climbed to the first step of the podium, which was also her first victory in her life in this type of racing. Lena showed great ski training, and despite 3 penalty minutes, came to the finish line first. In the next sprint race, she again demonstrated excellent physical fitness and with one penalty on the stand, she again outstripped all the competitors, thus registering her 16th individual victory at the World Cup stages. In the pursuit race that took place in 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 formalize the victory. Neuner finished second.
2008/09
According to the results of the 2008/2009 Biathlon World Cup (including the world championship in South Korean Pyeongchang), Magdalena Neuner took 4th place in the overall standings (891 points). Lagging behind the owner of the Big Crystal Globe Helena Jonsson and the runner-up with the same number of points (952) Kati Wilhelm (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
According to the results of the Biathlon World Cup 2007/2008. out of ten stages (including the World Championship in Ostersund, Sweden) Magdalena Neuner took 1st place in the overall standings (818 points). The superiority 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, referring to the "second year syndrome" in bright newcomers and illness during late pre-season training. The first stages really did not bring finishes on the podium, however, they made it possible to score a significant number of points both in the overall standings of the World Cup and in its individual disciplines. Starting from the stage in Slovenian Pokljuka, Magdalena's results improved significantly, she managed to finish several times in the prize-winners, both in personal and team competition... Her first individual win in the 2007/2008 season. was the mass start in the Thuringian Oberhof, 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 Ostersund, which was also part of the World Cup points score, and its beginning was very upsetting for Magdalena - on her birthday, leading the sprint race on the track, she made three mistakes in standing shooting and ended up far beyond the prize-winners' line. But in the mass start, as well as the women's and mixed relay races, the athlete became the world champion, and the team races were won by the German national teams largely thanks to her participation. The next stage, in South Korean Pyeongchang, 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 failed to impose a fight on either her or other medalists. However, after another successful stage for her in Khanty-Mansiysk, Magdalena took the lead in the overall World Cup 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 overall World Cup, as 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 championship in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy) Magdalena Neuner took 4th place in the overall standings (720 points). The gap from the winner Andrea Henkel was 150 points, from the third place occupied by Anna-Karin Olofsson - 140 points. The superiority over the closest pursuer, Florence Baverell-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 "golden classics" (three stages in Oberhof, Ruhpolding and Antholz-Anterselva) was a silver medal in the relay in Hochfilzen, Austria. The first career victory 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's participation in the fight for championship medals. All the more unexpected were her two victories in a row in the sprint and the pursuit, and in the first race Magdalena did not allow a single miss and created such a big reserve for the pursuit that she confidently finished there first, despite four penalties on the shooting lines while standing. The athlete won the third gold medal as part of the German women's relay team. The series of victories and podiums continued after the World Championship, and the final stage of the season in Khanty-Mansiysk became especially successful for Magdalena: 1 victory and 1 second place. On the other hand, a large number of shooting mistakes and confident performance of her rivals did not allow her to rise above the fourth place in the overall World Cup, 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.
Rookie Biathlete of the Year 2007.
Biathlete of the Year - 2007, 2008.
Winner of the "Golden Ski" Association ski species Germany (DSV) - 2007, 2008.
Biathlete of the season at Forum Nordicum - 2008.
Personal life
Neuner has lived in the small Bavarian town of Valgau since birth. In 2007, she bought an apartment here for her grandmother. Neuner met and corresponded for two years with former Austrian biathlete Franz Peirvin, whom she met during the 2006 Youth Biathlon World Championships. They broke up in January 2008. Magdalena is fond of knitting and this was often mentioned in the media. She has a blog dedicated to knitting. In February 2007, Neuner turned down an offer from Playboy magazine
Today, February 9, the next biathlon world championship starts in Hochfilzen. And on the same day, one of the greatest biathletes in the history of a German woman Magdalene Neuner turns 30. She won her first victories at the stages of the World Cup and World Championships in 2007, and five years later she completed a brilliant career. Now she lives in her native Wallgau, together with her husband, she brings up two children and from time to time calls to clean the world biathlon from doping.
How to break into the world of biathlon
She made her World Cup debut a month before her 19th birthday, and it took her only a year to fly from a rookie to the very top. On January 5, 2007, she won the sprint race in Oberhof, and only a month later became the three-time world champion in Antholz, taking gold in the sprint, pursuit and relay.
On February 4, 2007, it became clear that Neuner had come in earnest and for a long time. In the sprint to the top, she lacked quite a bit, but in the pursuit race they tried to catch up with all the then stars of the world biathlon, but no one succeeded.
How to save a team and become a champion
On March 13, 2011, at the World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, she held one of the most outstanding races of her career. In the relay, she ran the final stage and left more than one minute behind the leaders. But on this day, Neuner was simply unstoppable. She left for the last segment of the distance 25 seconds behind the Ukrainian Oksana Khvostenko, and in the end brought her about the same, rushing along the distance like a rocket.
A year later, at the last world championship in Neuner's career in Ruhpolding, the team repaid it in kind - after the extremely unsuccessful stage of Magdalena, other biathletes pulled the national team to first place.
How idols left. The most unexpected departures of sports stars
Politics, church, the role of a functionary, a house in the village and a change in playing roles and other reasons that made the legendary athletes leave the sport.
How to become a double-entry and not get into the relay
But Neuner did not always have such a rosy relationship with his colleagues from the national team. Suffice it to recall the Vancouver Olympics, when Magdalena was not included in the relay four. There is still no clear explanation for this circumstance, while in personal races then Neuner won two gold and silver awards.
Someone claims that the other athletes simply did not want to run with Neuner, fearing that her doping test would give a positive result and the whole team would be deprived of a possible medal. Magdalene allegedly remembered 2008, when the journalists of the German ARD channel and the Austrian newspaper Kurier began to unroll the story of blood doping, in which three dozen elite German athletes were involved, including her. But then Hayo Zeppelt was just preparing for future investigations, and the scandal only affected the cyclists.
Someone says that coaching staff preferred the phenomenally fast athlete Martina Beck, reliable in shooting, so as not to lose the almost guaranteed award. The German team eventually won bronze.
How to shock the whole world
In December 2011, she sensationally announced that at the end of the 2011/12 season she would end her sports career. This statement caused the effect of a bomb exploding. Leave the sport at its peak, at the age of 25? Why?
“For me, there have always been other things in life besides sports. I've always wanted to have a family. Be a mom and come home. Sports goals are over for me. 100 World Cup victories have never been my motivation. I wanted to become an Olympic champion, a world champion and I achieved all this. It's time to start another life, ”explained Neuner.
Neuner: there is nothing in life more important than family
Magdalena Neuner in an exclusive interview with "Championship.com" said that she misses the team, and in Sochi she will watch not only biathlon.
But there were other versions of her departure. Amazingly, this decision of Magdalena coincided with the introduction of the steroid part in biathlon biological passport... In some sports this has already been done and worked: the famous speed skater Claudia Pechstein was disqualified for two years precisely on the basis of biopass readings.
How to remove teams as a whole
Just a couple of days ago, Neuner spoke about doping in biathlon in an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung.
“National teams, whose athletes are systematically caught on doping, should be completely removed from participation in competitions. This is a tough but correct measure, because otherwise nothing will change, and this will hit 98% of athletes who compete honestly, ”Magdalena said. In the same interview, she supported the Frenchman Martin Fourcade in his intention to boycott the competition if the IBU hesitates in the fight against doping.
This is Neuner's loudest statement about doping she has ever done. Magdalena never mentioned the Russian national team in this interview, but a month ago she already said that the IBU should pay maximum attention to the data from the report McLaren... And this data was collected only for everything Russian sports... In general, Neuner herself has never been convicted of anything, but it would be great if Magdalena ended her appeal for suspension with the words: "You can check any of my samples at any time." But no one heard this phrase.
The Olympic Winter Games are an unusual story for Magdalena Neuner (30). This is a special magic that she experienced as a biathlete in Vancouver 2010. The Olympics, however, are also a tale of aftertaste - right now, before the games in Pyeongchang.Frau Neuner, biathlon is likely to be the top priority for viewing the Olympic Games. What other sports can you not miss?
Magdalena Neuner: I can watch TV all day. There is no discipline that does not interest me at all. Of course, I really love everything winter disciplines... First of all, all sports related to skiing. Skiing, ski cross (ski cross), freestyle or mogul. I am familiar with athletes, so this is especially interesting for me. And we must not forget about ski jumping. This is especially pleasing to my boy.
More than biathlon?
Neuner: At least he walks up to the TV when they show ski jumping and always jumps in front of the screen. This is very funny.
Is this early sports education?
Neuner: (laughs) Who knows. Anyway, my dream of the Olympics also started in front of the TV.
Tell us?
Neuner: When I was eleven, I was allowed to watch Olympic Games in Nagano in front of the school. It was a biathlon, an individual race for women, Ushi Disl won bronze. So I thought to myself: I want to become an Olympic champion. Since then, this dream has not allowed me to leave biathlon.
It became a reality in 2010 in Vancouver ...
Neuner ... the cherry on top of my career.
Did you think of the little girl in front of the TV when you won two gold medals?
Neuner: First of all, I thought: this cannot be. I just couldn't believe it happened.
How long did it take you to figure it out?
Neuner: It was only when I got home that I calmed down a bit. That's when I realized: the dream really came true.
Before the Games, there was a discussion about the exclusion of Russian athletes.
Neuner: Yes, there have always been new reports about this. As well as about doping in general. It is said that urine sample bottles can now be easily manipulated. This is all insane.
On the contrary, in your time, everything was quiet about reports of doping.
Neuner: At least quieter. But there have been enough incidents. For example, I remember Yekaterina Yurieva (the Russian biathlete won gold, silver and bronze at the 2008 World Championships, she was disqualified for two years in 2009 due to EPO doping, but in 2014 she was disqualified again and retired)... We sat together at dinner, talked, communicated well. And the next day they report that she is doping. After that, you lose confidence in people.
Do you still believe in pure sports?
Neuner: Definitely. Most athletes are clean. I will also put my hand on the fire for the German athletes I know: none of them has ill intentions. Unfortunately, there is always a black sheep that casts a shadow on everyone.
Some fans say, "Do your athletes take anything anyway?"
Neuner: It's a pity, but some people really think so. Some have told me about it. It shocks me. I don't want to be involved in this. I've definitely never taken a banned substance. In general, this opinion is unfair for all clean athletes.
Let's move on to another aspect of the Pyeongchang games. Your experience at the World Championships was not the best - in a sporty way, and it also concerns the atmosphere. Do you think the Games will be cheerful?
Neuner: It's true, the 2009 World Cup did not feel like the World Cup, the mood was absent, there were few spectators. But you cannot compare it. Now the atmosphere will be special - after all, the Olympics will take place. She has her own magic. And as an athlete, you look forward to it - no matter where it happens. And also when there is kimchi for breakfast.
I'm sorry, what?
Neuner: (laughs) Kimchi is a Korean national dish, such a special cabbage.
Cabbage for breakfast sounds awful.
Neuner: I didn't use it often either. But overall, I liked the cuisine. However, athletes do not need to worry. They will get the dish they want.
ARD and ZDF are currently broadcasting from Korea. Have you thought about flying?
Neuner: Very much so. We thought about flying back and forth with the TV channel. The problem is this: the competition, which is shown by two TV channels in turn, is valid for both weeks. For me, as a mother of two young children (daughter Verena is three years old, son Zappi is 15 months old, editor's note), a five-day trip is a pain. It doesn't make sense. Now Kati Wilhelm is taking over my role, which makes me very happy.
And you can go on vacation.
Neuner: In the biathlon season, and now before the Olympics, I have some free time. I told my husband: "Let's go. One week is a ski vacation, one week is family time." Relax completely. I am looking forward to it.
But you will still follow the Games.
Neuner: Of course. I have already written down when the biathlon competition will take place.
Magdalena Neuner, whose biography, sports career and personal life is presented in our article, is 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 Walgau 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 world famous ski resort, therefore, it is not surprising that the girl began to study in the ski section at the age of four. Five years later, while still quite a child, Magdalena Neuner first picked up a biathlon rifle, and since then this sport has become her only one.
Start of a professional career
Despite the fact that Lena's talent began to manifest itself already in the first trainings, her studies were in the first place. Only after leaving school was Neuner able to fully concentrate on training and performing.
The results were not long in coming: Magdalena climbed to the highest step of the podium seven times at the youth world championships. At the age of 18, she was named the best young athlete of the year in Germany. These indicators attracted attention from the head coach of the German national team, Uwe Mussigant, who began to involve her in the main team.
World Cup debut season
In January 2006, thanks in large part to the injury of the legendary Magdalena, Neuner 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 the first points for herself.
Lena corrected her mistake at the next pursuit race, where she was able to win back 20 positions. At the next stage in Antholz, Italy, she finished 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 national team.
At the World Cup stage in Finnish Kontiolahti, the biathlete first got to the flower ceremony - she stopped one step away from the prizes in the sprint race. In total, in the 2005/06 season, Magdalena Neuner took part 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 Östersund, biathlete Magdalena Neuner began climbing to world fame. First, she became the 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 the bronze medalist in the pursuit.
Thanks to the first individual victories, Neuner was able to secure her place in the relay team. That season she became the second in Ruhpolding and the winner at the World Championships in Antholz. But this could not be compared with her individual indicators: Lena became two-time champion world (in sprint and pursuit), and also won two victories at the World Cup stages in Holmenkollen and Khanty-Mansiysk.
According to the results of the season, Magdalena Neuner scored 720 points and became the fourth, losing only to her compatriots Andrei Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, as well as the Swede Anna Karin Olofsson.
Invincible "Golden Girl" of the German biathlon
Magdalena Neuner started the 2007/08 season as one of the main contenders for the 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 the accuracy of shooting, especially in the standing position. Even the "reactive" speed of the athlete 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 the three-time world champion in Ostersund (in the women's and mixed relay, as well as in the mass start), was the best in the sprint in Pyeongchang and Khanty-Mansiysk. After gaining 818 points in the end, she became the owner of a large " Crystal globe"as the best biathlete of the season.
In the next World Cup, Lena did not slow down. She climbed the pedestal 10 times, and 6 times - the highest step. However, this time, the competition both within the national 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 her preparations for the Vancouver Olympics with the third stage of the World Cup in Pokljuka, where she became third in the sprint and second in the pursuit. Having missed a stage in her native Oberhof due to injury, Neuner again ascended the podium twice in Ruhpolding, and then left no one a chance in the individual and sprint races in Antholz.
At her first and, as it turned out, the last Olympics in her career, Magdalena was supposed to win the sprint, but because of one mistake she lost to the Slovak Kuzmina. In the pursuit, Neuner did not leave any of her rivals a chance and became an Olympic champion, and a few days later added another gold medal to her collection for winning the mass start.
In addition to victories at the Olympics, the biathlete finished the season quite smoothly and won the Crystal Globe for the second time.
The sudden departure of a star
In the next season, Magdalena Neuner showed fantastic results - she only once did not enter the top ten in finishing protocols. However, due to missed races due to illness, she became only fifth in the World Cup.
Lena started the 2011/12 season simply gorgeous. At the very first stage in Östersund, she became the best in the sprint and twice the third in the individual race and the pursuit. Magdalena Neuner missed only three races for the entire season, climbed the podium 20 times, won 11 times. At the end of the year, she scored 1216 points and again took first place. In this regard, the statement of the German biathlete about the completion of sports career.
Failed fashion model career
In 2007, the beautiful and very popular athlete was noticed in Playboy magazine, but the eighteen-year-old biathlete refused to hold a candid photo shoot. Magdalena Neuner later still starred in an ad for underwear from 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 the training and competition schedule, so it was difficult with her personal life. It is not surprising that her first serious relationship was an affair with a biathlete from Austria Franz Perwein, whom the girl met at junior tournaments. The couple seemed happy and strong, but two years later they separated.
After the break, Magdalena Neuner had a serviceman for the German national team, Bjorn Weisheit, who was almost 15 years older than her. After a year and a half, they broke up culturally and even continued to work in the same team.
At the end of 2009, the biathlete announced that she was in love again. As it turned out, her childhood friend became her lover - a simple carpenter from the native village of Magdalena named Josef Holzer. Until now, most Neuner fans believe that it was because of this relationship that the "Queen of Biathlon" decided to end professional career at the peak of its form and worldwide fame.
In March 2014, Magdalena, already in position, 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 a 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, popularize skiing, and also the legend of the German and world biathlon loves to knit.