Janina Hettich-Walz will miss the upcoming biathlon season due to her pregnancy. The two-time World Cup silver medalist has now spoken about how she wants to return to active competitive sport afterwards.
“I am in constant communication with the trainers and doctors and we discuss the most important processes. They are really getting into this new situation and we are trying to find the best way for me and the child. The focus is clearly on me “I listen to my body and we tailor the training accordingly,” Hettich-Walz revealed her approach to “chiemgau24”.
The 28-year-old explained: “In German biathlon there has been no recent case of an active athlete taking a maternity break and then wanting to return to competitive sport. It is also a new situation for the coaches, but they are taking up the challenge fully and we want to find the best possible path for all of us together.”
“We are very confident, there are now enough examples from other nations where it worked really well,” recalled Hettich-Walz.
Hettich-Walz dreams of the 2026 Olympics
She was “already aware that I can show other athletes and also the younger generation that family and professional sport in biathlon can also be combined as a woman,” said the German ski hunter. “Of course I have to wait and see how things develop for me. But in principle I would like to take a pioneering role and show that it is possible,” said Hettich-Walz.
The DSV athlete looks back on a strong biathlon season. Hettich-Walz finished tenth and was the second best German in the overall World Cup. The highlight of the winter was winning the silver medal in the individual World Cup.
“I achieved a lot of sporting goals last winter and would like to build on the level I had last season. The Olympics play an important role in this, I would like to be there. But now my personal goals are the first priority. I “I always wanted to have a family and I’m looking forward to that,” said Hettich-Walz, looking ahead to the future.
Source: www.sport.de
