Overview

• ZDF will not name a direct replacement for the late Laura Dahlmeier and will use Denise Herrmann-Wick as its only biathlon studio expert this winter.
• Herrmann-Wick gave birth to her second child on August 28, which factors into planning for her on-air assignments.
• Dahlmeier had worked as a ZDF biathlon analyst since December 2019 and died on July 28 after being struck by falling rock on Laila Peak in Pakistan.
• Sven Fischer continues biathlon race analysis alongside commentator Volker Grube, with Marco Büchel (alpine) and Severin Freund (ski jumping) as experts and Katrin Müller-Hohenstein and Katja Streso hosting from Mainz.
• ARD retains its expert team and names Christian Dexne as sole biathlon commentator after Wilfried Hark’s retirement, as the alpine World Cup opens Oct. 26–27 in Sölden, the biathlon World Cup starts Nov. 29 in Östersund, and the 2026 Olympics run Feb. 6–22.