Katrin Apel

Katrin Apel ( born May 4, 1973 in Erfurt) is a former German biathlete and cross-country skier. She began as a six- year-old with the cross-country, was second in the Junior Nordic World Ski Championships in 1990 with the season and won the 1993 5 km classic bronze. From 1994 to 2007, she was active as a biathlete, at this time she gained six times at major events the gold, six silver and two bronze. In the World Cup, she won 18 times in the relay, was three times sprint and pursuit champion once.

Career

Apel came by their parents to skiing and stood with one and a half years already on boards. At age six, she began training center Gräfenroda with the cross-country and was already with seven district champion. She trained at the age of ten to twelve years, two to three times a week and denied competitions. Aside from skiing, it operated as their parents Athletics. In 1979 she came to the Polytechnic High School in Gräfenroda and changed in 1985 along with her brother Jens to the children 's and youth sports school ( KJS ) in Oberhof. Apel was not armed with 1,45 m height and 33 kg in weight for success. She came only because of the children and youth sports school because she was good at cross -country skiing and ten pull-ups managed. In the eighth grade she was already third in the East German Championship, and two years later Spartakiade winner.

After the 10th class they started in 1989 at the Teacher Training School in Schmalkalden trained as a teacher, she successfully graduated in 1993. Then she joined the sports promotion group of the Bundeswehr, it currently holds the rank of First Sergeant. In the newly founded WSV Oberhof it was promoted by Ullrich Schneider, Kurt Albrecht and Gerold Koehler.

1990-1994

Apel took 13 national titles as a cross-country skier in her time, was three times each youth and junior champion and 1991 title holder also in the active class over 5 km classic. At the Junior World Championships in 1990 in Štrbské Pleso she finished with the German relay to second place and a year later the fourth place over 5 km freestyle and with the DSV Season. At the German Championships, she reached over 10 km and in the relay race each third place, and at the 1993 World Junior Championships, she was third over 5 km classic, Fourth and Sixth in the relay over 15km freestyle. So they made ​​the breakthrough in the long run. With her ​​former club WSV Oberhof they celebrated the national championship season.

1994-1998

After failed to qualify for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer Apel moved quickly decided in the camp of the biathletes. Reasons were lack of clarity about their role and clashes in the association. Because she was still in the cross-country squad, she participated in the shooting training part secretly. In their first season 1994/95 she joined in the European Cup. Apel convinced at the end of the season with third overall. In the Biathlon European Championships in 1995 in Le Grand -Bornand, she was in the third sprint, and in the German Championship she finished with the season of Thuringia second place. A year later she was promoted to the Biathlon World Cup. In the first season in the World Cup they failed regularly at the shooting range, but in the season they won with good benefits. In Oslo, they immediately had to turn two penalties in the season, yet the season of the DSV Quartet was first.

The coach idleness and assistant coach evil trusted her, so that she in Ruhpolding in the team and the season came at the Biathlon World Championships in 1996 for use and two gold medals won. The first national title they won about 15 km, in the sprint was added in second place. In the World Cup season 1995/96 she succeeded in Pokljuka in individual rank and the third overall in the 33rd rank. At the World Cup in 1997 Osrblie she took in the relay back the gold medal. In the World Cup 1996/97 they finished at the end of the season ranking 26 Thus, they qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. In the 1997/98 season, they improved in the overall standings twelve. At the 1998 Winter Olympics she won with her teammates Uschi Disl, Martina Zellner and Petra Behle the gold medal in the relay and the sprint bronze medal.

1999-2003

The 1998/99 season concluded from Apel in eighth. At the end of the season she was a third place in the pursuit and in Oberhof win a second in Val Cartier. She took in the relay at the 1999 World Cup in Kontiolahti back the gold medal. In 2000 World Cup in Ruhpolding, it was only 1.8 seconds ahead of second followed by Santer and in the overall standings decades. At the World Championships 2000 in Oslo she could convince again. She won the silver medal in the sprint and the relay. In the 2000 /01 season she came in Osrblie and Ruhpolding to third place in the sprint. With the German season they won the silver medal at the 2001 World Cup. At the end of the season 2001/ 02 they came in the standings to fifth place, and they celebrated the first victory in the sprint and pursuit of Lahti. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, she won back the gold medal in the relay. As a first leg they had in the penalty loop, which had not happened to her for two years. In the season 2002/ 03 she moved from WSV Oberhof to SV Eintracht Frankenhain. In the overall standings, they landed on the 20th place in the 2003 World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk the 18th place in the sprint was their best result, in the season it was not used.

2004-2006

The season 2003/ 04 was for Apel better than the previous season, and it came in the standings to seventh. In the home World Cup in Oberhof 2004 she won the silver medal in the mass start and in the relay bronze medal. In the winter season 2004/ 05 they won the fourth individual victory in the sprint in Khanty- Mansiysk, and in the overall standings, they landed on the eighth. A season later, her glückten seven top - ten finishes in the World Cup. In her last Olympic Winter Games in 2006 she succeeded only in the relay silver medal. In the World Cup, they came at the end of the season to eighth place.

After a season 2006/ 07 with average performance, which was marked by problems with his shoulder, Apel managed first time in eleven years, no nomination for the Biathlon World Championships 2007 in Antholz and declared on 26 February 2007 their withdrawal from the sport of biathlon end of the season. After 22 years of competitive sports they played on 18 March 2007 their last World Cup race in Khanty-Mansiysk, reaching in the overall standings to 19th place.

End of career

After the end of her career, she strives next representative duties for sponsors and suppliers additional training as an occupational therapist in order to " definitely go back to work with kids ."

Achievements

Biathlon World Cup rankings

The table shows all placements (depending on the year, including hosting the Olympic Games and World Championships ).

World Cup wins

Honorary citizen

Apel's home community Gräfenroda appointed her an honorary citizen in 2002.

Winter Olympic Games Biathlon World Championships 1996 Biathlon World Championships 1997 Biathlon World Championships 1999 Biathlon World Championships 2000 Biathlon World Championships 2001 Biathlon World Championships 2004 Biathlon World Championships 2005 2003–04 Biathlon World Cup Polytechnic Secondary School Oberhof, Germany Cross country running Pull-up (exercise) Hauptfeldwebel Nagano, Nagano 2002–03 Biathlon World Cup Biathlon World Championships 2003 2004–05 Biathlon World Cup 2005–06 Biathlon World Cup 2006–07 Biathlon World Cup Hochfilzen International Biathlon Union List of Olympic medalists in biathlon Corinne Niogret Anne Briand France Andrea Henkel Kati Wilhelm Olga Zaitseva Olena Pidhrushna Antje Harvey Galina Koukleva Linda Grubben Gunn Margit Andreassen Martina Beck Magdalena Neuner Anna Boulygina Hilde Fenne Tora Berger
469523
de