Kati Wilhelm
Kati Wilhelm ( born August 2, 1976 in Schmalkalden ) is a former German biathlete. It is one of Germany's most successful gymnasts of this sport with titles at World Championships and Olympic Games.
Career
Beginnings as a cross-country skier
Your first experience on the tracks collected Kati Wilhelm 1983 at the training center in Steinbach- Hallenberg. At fourteen years old she moved to the sports school in Oberhof, where he made in 1995, the High School. Immediately thereafter, Kati Wilhelm went to sports promotion group of the Bundeswehr in Oberhof (currently it has the rank of First Sergeant ). In 1998, she achieved a fifth place with the cross-country relay at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Successful biathlete
In 1999, the cross-country skier Kati Wilhelm to biathlon and started in the 2000/ 01 season for the first time in the Biathlon World Cup for the SC motor Zella- Mehlis. Already in its third World Cup race succeeded Wilhelm the first podium finish in the sprint in Antholz she finished in third place. After another regular placements in the World Cup points, the Biathlon World Championships 2001 in Pokljuka first major success in William's career. In her first World Cup race ever, the Sprint race, she won the gold medal. Other top - 10 finishes come with her seventh place in the pursuit and fifth place in the mass start. Although Wilhelm in the relay race showed a weaker performance and in prone scored two penalties, handed it to her with the German relay to the silver medal. In the discharged after the World Championships in Lake Placid sprint races Wilhelm won the second race of her career. Despite a weak performance in Oslo, where she was overtaken by the 40th place in the sprint in pursuit, Wilhelm finished at the end of their first biathlon season in eighth place in the overall World Cup.
With the start of the 2001/02 season, Wilhelm was able to establish definitively in the World Cup. In the twelve discharged before the Olympics race she won only once a place outside the World Cup points, best result was second place in the sprint of Osrblie. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City William to one of the most successful athletes was. In the sprint race, she won the gold medal and in the subsequent pursuit race the silver medal. Even with the German relay Wilhelm was successful and won with Katrin Apel, Uschi Disl and Andrea Henkel her second gold medal. At the end of the winter Wilhelm finished as last season in eighth place in the overall World Cup.
In the winter of 2004/05 season Wilhelm won three World Cup races and took second place in the overall World Cup. In the following winter Wilhelm became the second German after Martina Beck (born Glagow ) in the season 2002/ 03 the overall World Cup, besides also the sprint and the pursuit of the World Cup.
At the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin, she was flag bearer for the German delegation at the opening ceremony on 10 February 2006. Kati Wilhelm won the gold medal in the 10 km pursuit, second with the German 4x6km relay and second in the first time was at the Olympic Play discharged mass Start over 12.5 km. She is the most successful biathlete in the Winter Games. For her achievements, she was elected in 2006 Athlete of the Year.
At the 2007 World Championships in Antholz, she won for the first time in her career World Cup gold medal in the relay. After William since their gold medal in the sprint at the 2001 World Championships, although could reach several relay medals, but with several world championships won no individual medal, a bronze medal meant in the mass start in Antholz after six years of their second World Cup individual medal.
In the Biathlon World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2009, she won the sprint again after 2001 and thus secured her first individual gold medal at the World Championships for 8 years. She came with 9.9 seconds ahead of her teammate Simone Hauswald the finish. In the subsequent pursuit race, she won the silver medal behind Sweden's Helena Jonsson despite 6 misses. Your winning streak continued in the individual competition, in which they triumphed in their careers thanks to the second-best mileage and only one shooting error for the first time.
At the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, she won along with Simone Hauswald, Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and the bronze medal in the biathlon relay. After the 2009/10 season Wilhelm ended her biathlon career.
After the active career
From the World Cup season 2010/11 Kati Wilhelm accompanied the television broadcasts of the First Biathlon competitions as an expert.
Private life
As an option, woman of the SPD Wilhelm 2004 was a member of the Federal Assembly. Since March 2006 she studied International Management at the Hochschule Ansbach. Wilhelm is the chief engineer of the German Ski Biathlon, Andreas Emslander, romantically involved. On November 22, 2011 William brought in Schmalkalden birth to a daughter.
Social Commitment
Wilhelm is an ambassador of the initiative " Medienbewusst.de - Kinder.Medien.Kompetenz ".
Biathlon World Cup rankings
The table shows all placements (depending on the year, including hosting the Olympic Games and World Championships ).
Awards
- Silver bay leaf 2002, 2006, 2010
- Sportswoman of the Year 2002 - # 3
- Sportswoman of the Year 2006 - # 1
- Winter Star 2006 in the category " best athlete " ( chosen by the viewers of the Bavarian Radio and the readers of Bild Zeitung )
- Winter Star 2007 in the category " Best team " ( biathlon relay)
- Bavarian Sport Award 2009, 2010
- Goldene Henne 2009
- Golden Ski 2009
- Herbert Award for Best Newcomer 2011