Overview
- Justus Strelow, Danilo Riethmüller, David Zobel and Philipp Nawrath finished third in the 4x7.5 km relay, 7.9 seconds off France with Norway second, using only five spare rounds.
- France sealed the win through Eric Perrot’s closing leg, while Nawrath held off Sweden but was passed late by Norway’s Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen in the fight for silver.
- A day earlier the German women placed sixth after Franziska Preuß skied a penalty loop on the final shooting; she acknowledged confidence and standing‑shooting problems in TV interviews.
- Ruhpolding was the last relay before the Olympics, with individual sprints and pursuits this weekend and Nove Mesto next week providing the final form tests ahead of Antholz.
- Olympic selection remains in focus: only Nawrath, Strelow and the absent Philipp Horn have met the men’s norm so far, Zobel has half, and Riethmüller, Lucas Fratzscher and Johannes Kühn seek to impress; Selina Grotian still needs one top‑8 or two top‑15 results to qualify.