Biathlon – Arand and Banita Pfeiffer: A Special Family Story

stersund (dpa) – Benita Peiffer doesn’t dare to do an entire interview in German. “I’d prefer it in English,” says the Canadian, smiling friendly in the bitter cold of Ostersund.

Unnoticed by the public, the 21-year-old has just made his World Cup debut, although his last name is a very common name in the biathlon scene. peefer? Absolutely!

“We have the same great-grandfathers,” says Arndt Pfeiffer. The German Olympic champion does not know exactly how the relationship is called. “Maybe third cousin?” In any case, Arand and Banita Peifer’s grandparents were cousins, and Banita’s grandparents once moved to Canada. “We’ve already met a few times. There’s regular contact,” says Arndt Pfeiffer. He is also in Sweden this week. Although the 34-year-old ended his career after last season, he has appeared in front of the camera in a new role as a TV specialist for ARD for the first time since Thursday.

“still very upset”

Regarding Benita, who entered the 104th, 107th and 87th Olympics, the former world champion says, “I wished her all the best. “I’m still very nervous before the race,” she says. She actually started out as a cross-country skier, but later couldn’t find a trainer and switched to ski hunting. “I really can’t handle the pressure yet.” But he also gets tips from family members. Banita says, “Arand is my role model and he always helps me.” We write to each other, exchange ideas.

She would love to emulate her “cousin”, as Banita herself repeatedly says, in the context of sports at some point. “Some World Cup victories and Olympic medals would be great,” says the Canadian, who was persuaded to have a short conversation in German on German television. Arnd Peiffer did not stand far and watched the conversation closely.

Although young Banita regrets that the two missed each other at the World Cup by a year, veteran Peifer does not regret the end of her career a year before the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. “The feeling of a good race is intoxicating, and it’s not. But I have a lot of other things. Less pressure, less time in the summer, less torture,” said the ten-time World Cup winner to the German press. agency.

Arnd Peiffer as TV Expert

Peifer called her first day at her new job on television “long and exciting”: “It was definitely exciting to see all the process go through. It’s definitely brand new to me.” The five-time world champion and gold winner of the Pyeongchang Olympic sprint was delighted to see many old friends reunited in Sweden. “But it’s also nice that it’s not every weekend,” Pfeffer says. He won’t be in every World Cup for long, instead he will spend a lot of time with his family. “It’s a remedy that’s totally great. I stick to it a little bit,” Pfeffer says.

Now the Lower Saxons have to make a habit of keeping a serious eye on their long-term peers from time to time. “I try to be very factual, so that’s perfectly fine. I look forward to their response,” Pfeffer says: “Of course, you see exactly what I’m doing. If I mis-formulation or mistake If I do, then they will immediately put it on my bread.”

“Being in top form at the beginning, being there and competing with others”, he says, remembers it a bit and then evaluates realistically: “But now that’s not possible. Once you stop.” If you go, you never come back to that level. But that’s okay too.” And for the time being the name Peiffer will not be completely missing from the result list.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 211202-99-236212/5