Childhood
Magdalena Neuner was born into the family of a bank employee Paul Neuner and Margit. The Neuner family has four children: the elder brother Paul, as well as Christoph and Anna - the younger brother and sister of Magdalena. Anna is also engaged in biathlon - she takes part in youth competitions.Neuner spent her entire childhood in the small Bavarian village of Walgau, where she still lives. WITH four years she started to study 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. Neuner proved to be a talented biathlete there, but sporting events Magdalena decided only from the age of sixteen, after leaving school.
Sports career
Good results in biathlon competitions showed up right away. During the first four years of her performances, Neuner managed to win seven awards in the world championships in the youth team.Magdalena 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, Neuner again won three awards: two gold and one silver medal.
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 2005/06 season, he won three races and took fifth place in the overall standings. Her significant results allow the head coach of the team, Uwe Mussegang, to include Neuner 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 in Ruhpolding, she took only 41st 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. On January 5, Magdalena became the best in the 7.5 km sprint. Having shown excellent results at the World Championships 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. According to the results of the Cup, which consisted of nine stages, Neuner scored 720 points and took 4th place.
The next season, the biathlete received three more awards in the world championship - the World Cup and two Small Crystal Globes. The results of the next draw, which now consisted of 10 stages: 818 points, first place and the title of the winner of the World Cup. The first individual victory was the victory in the race from the general start in Oberhof, where Magdalena finished with the German flag. The series of victories at the championship in Östersund continued. Despite the fact that the beginning of the forum was discouraging for Neuner: in the lead, the biathlete made three mistakes, thereby ending up outside the prize-winners' line. But later she rehabilitated herself, having won the race, and also made a significant contribution to the victory of the German team. Thus, completing the championship with a six-time champion. Having successfully performed in Khanty-Mansiysk, she headed overall score and won the Cup ahead of schedule. In Holmenkollen, having average results in races, she still won the fight for the Small Cup.
2008/09 was not so successful, although Magdalena received the Crystal Globe (individual races), but did not win a single personal award, just as she did not achieve significant success at the World Cup. This season's results are 891 points and fourth place.
2009/10 Olympic season, the most successful in her sports career. The January stages did not bring victories to Magdalena: second and third places, but already at the last stage in Fort Kent he collects a full collection of awards. Neuner 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. At the second stage in Hochfilzen, Magdalena took 29th and 28th places. The third stage of the races was held in the Slovenian town of Pokljuka, the result - 3rd place in the sprint and 2nd place 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 took 3rd place twice, 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 still showed an excellent result, thereby gaining her 16th personal victory in the World Cup.
In February in Vancouver, at her debut Olympics, Magdalena 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 in Norway, the biathlete wins the fourth Small Crystal Globe. And in the final stage, she wins again, gaining 933 points, and receives the second Crystal Globe of the season.
At a press conference in Leogang on December 6, 2011, Neuner announced that she wants to end her career after the 2011/12 season. At the first stage of this season, traditionally held in Östersund, Magdalena wins bronze three times. Also in Hochfilzen he shows excellent results in sprint and racing. At the fourth stage in Oberhof, which became successful for the biathlete, she wins the sprint race, thus Neuner rehabilitates himself in front of his fans for failing in the relay. Subsequent high results consolidate her leadership in the World Cup standings. In the Czech Republic, Neuner took the podium twice - in the individual sprint race and received the third final result. But fans of Magdalena will remember the pursuit race for a long time because of her ridiculous mistake - Neuner was in the lead during the race, taking a position for shooting opposite the first installation, opened fire on the second. Having made four successful shots, only then did she notice her mistake and fired the last shot at the desired target. According to the rules of the competition, you have to go through four penalty circles for such mistakes. Thus, Neuner took 7th place.
Interview with Magdalena Neuner
Personal life of Magdalena Neuner
Magdalena Neuner enjoys playing the harp. Knitting is also a favorite pastime, the media often mentions this. Neuner has a blog on this topic.In February 2007, Playboy magazine made an offer for a photo session, but Neuner rejected the offer. In June 2010, Magdalena takes part in an advertisement for Mey underwear.
In December 2009, the world learns about her romantic relationship with her school friend Josef Holzer, who also lives in her hometown of Walgau.
Account: magdalena_neuner
Occupation: biathlete
Magdalena Neuner has been on Instagram since autumn 2015, sharing personal and sports photos.
Instagram subscribers of Magdalena Neuner are interested in bright and graceful photographs, the girl shares her experiences and successes with her followers. She shows herself during competitions, training, does not hide her family and is not afraid to share happy moments in life with people. Thus, subscribers are not limited to information about Neuner's sports career; from it, you can also see the girl's personal life. Magdalena can respond to subscribers' comments if there is an interesting question. She is registered on Instagram and Facebook, in addition to this, she has an official website.
In the feed, you can see a variety of photos, ranging from funny, where a girl with an artificial mustache, and ending with very touching and delicate photos during pregnancy, of her child. The girl shows the most reverent photos from family holidays: the birthday of the child, joint New Year... Magdalena Neuner communicates with her subscribers and fans with a photo from Instagram, showing trust and sincerity.
Biography of Magdalena Neuner
The biography of Magdalena Neuner begins on February 9, 1987 in Bavaria, from the age of four she began to engage in alpine skiing. Magdalena grew up in a family with four children, grew up in a small village where she still lives. She knew her husband from a young age, he is an ordinary carpenter. The young have a son and a daughter. Since childhood, the biathlete has served great expectations but go to big sport decided only after leaving school, at the age of sixteen. In the first four years, she immediately showed herself - she received seven awards, became a multiple champion, but her victories were not limited to this. The next stage in Magdalena's career was the European Biathlon Cup, where she went for six years. By request "Magdalena Neuner Biography" you can find all the information about the girl's career, with detailed description all the successes of the biathlete.
The girl is currently the most successful in this sport, this is confirmed by the following awards:
- Magdalena became Germany's Athlete of the Year three times;
- Noted as Rookie Biathlete and Biathlete of the Year;
- Alpine Skiing Laureate.
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 for her. 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 Müssigant, 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 Ostersund, she became the best in the sprint and twice the third in individual race and pursue. 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 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 after two years 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.