Following the German Biathlon Championships on the first weekend of September in the Black Forest, the German Ski Association (DSV) has nominated the first DSV team for this year’s bett1.de Biathlon World Team Challenge at Schalke: Janina Hettich-Walz and Justus Strelow will compete as the defending champions. This finalizes the first team for the winter sports spectacle on Wednesday, December 30, at the VELTINS-Arena.
The pair’s participation is linked to special memories: In late December 2025, Hettich-Walz and Strelow first won the mass start and then went on to prevail in the pursuit as well. With their victory, they ended a nine-year drought for Germany at the Biathlon on Schalke. Strelow’s fast and flawless final shooting round, in particular, provided one of the most emotional moments of the evening and brought the VELTINS Arena to its feet with a standing ovation.
Now Team Germany 1 is returning to Gelsenkirchen as the defending champion, and both athletes have posted strong results in recent months. Since her return to the World Cup, Janina Hettich-Walz has consistently performed at the top international level. At the Winter Olympics in Antholz, she finished eighth in the individual event and, as part of the German women’s relay team, narrowly missed a medal by finishing fourth. In the World Cup, she finished fourth in the sprint in Otepää and sixth in the sprint at the home World Cup in Oberhof, among other results. She ended the season ranked 17th in the overall standings.
Hettich-Walz in Top Form
Hettich-Walz recently demonstrated just how well she’s back in form at the German Championships in Notschrei. At the first-ever edition of the championships held in the Upper Black Forest, the 30-year-old won the shortened individual, the sprint, and the pursuit. After winning two titles and finishing second last year, she achieved a clean sweep of all three titles this time around.
Janina Hettich-Walz: “I’m really happy to be back. Biathlon at Schalke is always something very special. Of course, what sticks in my memory most are the amazing spectators. We don’t usually get that kind of soccer stadium atmosphere in biathlon. It’s truly impressive when you ski into that cauldron. I won all three titles at the Notschrei. That was, of course, an outstanding weekend for me. Still, I don’t want to read too much into it, because there’s still some time until winter and a lot can happen. But it gives me confidence and shows me that I’m on the right track. To be honest, I’m not really thinking that much yet about defending the title at Schalke. What Justus and I accomplished last year was a magnificent achievement. Repeating that will be difficult. But of course, we’ll do our best.”
Strelow is the best prone shooter of the World Cup season
Justus Strelow, too, can look back on a successful season. At the Winter Olympics in Antholz, he won the bronze medal as part of the German mixed relay team, marking his first Olympic medal. He also finished fourth with the men’s relay team. Strelow made another strong showing at the World Cup in Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand: In the mass start, he hit all 20 targets and missed the podium by just half a second, finishing fourth.
He demonstrated his strength at the shooting range throughout the entire season. With 146 hits out of 150 shots, Strelow was the best prone shooter of the World Cup winter season. He continued this form in the summer as well, winning the City Biathlon in Dresden for the first time in August.
Justus Strelow: “I can’t really remember the last shooting stage very clearly. But of course I knew that the victory was still on the line. I was first at the shooting range and didn’t have to do anything special—I just had to get through it cleanly one more time. That’s why I tried not to take too many risks, and I succeeded. On the final lap, I could still feel Fabien Claude right on my heels. Even though I knew he couldn’t actually catch up to me anymore, you’re not safe until you get back to the stadium. The moment I was greeted there with a standing ovation gave me absolute goosebumps. I really enjoyed being the first to enter that stadium and being cheered on by everyone. Janina did an outstanding job setting the stage. You can’t win a race like this on your own. It’s a team competition where both athletes have to be absolutely confident at the shooting range and handle the unique atmosphere. Janina always kept us in the race and held her own against the strong women in the field. It was simply a great day for us as a team. As the defending champions, we naturally feel the pressure and the expectation to deliver again, especially after Janina became a three-time German champion. Still, it’s never easy to come out on top at an event like this. Our goal for now is the podium. If we have another day as good as last year’s, hopefully it’ll be enough for the win again.”
Contenders for the title again in 2026
With Hettich-Walz and Strelow, the German Ski Association is counting on a duo for Team Germany 1 that already complemented each other perfectly last year at Schalke. Their precision at the shooting range and their experience in tight race situations make the two contenders for victory in 2026 as well.
Bernd Eisenbichler, Biathlon Sports Director at the German Ski Association: “Following the German Championships at Notschrei, our focus is already on the next highlight: Biathlon at Schalke on December 30. The event has been a firmly established fixture between Christmas and New Year’s for many years. It gives us the opportunity to showcase biathlon to an audience that otherwise doesn’t get to enjoy winter sports events very often. The arena is always well-attended, the atmosphere is fantastic, and the competitions are exciting and feature a lot of shooting. We’re sending our defending champion duo, Janina Hettich-Walz and Justus Strelow, into the race. It took nine years to bring the title back to Germany. Our goal is clear: We want our two teams to once again compete for a spot on the podium and, if possible, of course, for the victory as well. We’re up against a very strong international field. I think fans in northern Germany and TV viewers alike have already marked the date on their calendars and are looking forward to it.”
Get your tickets and be there live!
Tickets for the Biathlon at Schalke on December 30, 2026, are available starting at 19 euros at tickets.schalke04.de, by phone at 0209 | 9775 1877 , and at the FC Schalke 04 Service Center (Ernst-Kuzorra-Weg 1, 45891 Gelsenkirchen).
