"Downhill sections are life-threatening." Biathletes shocked by conditions in Oberhof

Today, the 4th stage of the Biathlon World Cup kicks off in the German town of Oberhof, but all the leading athletes are in absolute shock due to the conditions on the track.

All those who went through training before the race note a large amount of mud on the track, as well as rocks and bark. The reason is the lack of snow. Oberhof has been heavily affected by climate change in Europe.

"These are probably the worst conditions I have ever encountered in Oberhof. There is a lot of bark and rocks on the track. In addition, in some places, there is very little snow. The descents were life-threatening", – said Norwegian biathlete Johannes Boe.

"About 10% of the track is white snow, and the rest is very dirty, soft, full of rocks and chips", – said Czech biathlete Jonas Marecek.

The Biathlon World Cup stage in Oberhof will start with the men's sprint at 11:20 Central European Time. The women's sprint will begin at 14:25.