Magdalena "Lena" Holzer (née Neuner; ; born 9 February 1987) is a retired German professional biathlete. She is the most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. At the age of 21, she became the youngest Overall World Cup winner in the history of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). With 34 World Cup wins, Neuner is ranked second all-time for career victories on the Biathlon World Cup tour. She has won the Overall World Cup title three times, in 2007–08, in 2009–10 and her final season in 2011–12. At only 25 years old, Neuner retired from the sport in March 2012, citing a lack of motivation and her desire for a normal life.
Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old and won five junior world championship titles from 2004 to 2006. She made her World Cup debut in 2006 and won her first World Cup race in January 2007. One month later, she claimed three gold medals in her first appearance at the Biathlon World Championships. In the 2007–08 season, Neuner won the Overall World Cup and once more claimed three titles at the 2008 World Championships. After a less successful winter in 2008–09, she participated in her first Winter Olympic Games in 2010, winning the gold medal in both the pursuit and the mass start, and silver in the sprint race. Neuner also claimed the 2009–10 Overall World Cup title. At the 2011 World Championships, she won three more gold medals. In her final winter on the World Cup tour, Neuner won two more titles at the 2012 World Championships and claimed the Overall World Cup for a third time.
During her seven World Cup seasons, Neuner won 34 World Cup races and achieved 63 podium finishes. As part of Germany's World Cup team, she won ten relay races and three mixed relay events. During six appearances at Biathlon World Championships, Neuner claimed 17 medals: twelve gold, four silver and one bronze. In addition, she has won seven junior world championship titles. Neuner was known as one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon. She had been noted for her volatile shooting performances in the standing position, particularly in the early years of her career, often at the expense of better results.
Neuner has lived in the Bavarian village of Wallgau since birth. At the age of 16, she joined the German Customs Administration to become a member of the government-funded Customs-Ski-Team. Since winning three world championship gold medals in 2007, Neuner is one of her home country's most popular female athletes. She was named German Sportswoman of the Year in 2007, 2011 and 2012.
Early life Magdalena Neuner was born in the German alpine resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the second of four children of bank clerk Paul Neuner and his wife Margit.Neuner, Magdalena. Vita . Magdalena-Neuner.de. Retrieved 12 August 2011. She has an elder brother Paul, and two younger siblings—her brother Christoph and her sister Anna. Her sister is also an aspiring biathlete who participates in junior competitions and is a member in the youth squad of the Bavarian Ski Association.Bayerischer Skiverband. Magdalena Neuner (SC Wallgau) . bsv-ski.de. 12 September 2002. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
Neuner grew up in the small Bavarian village of Wallgau, approximately from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She started alpine skiing when she was four years old and later tried various other winter sports at her hometown ski club SC Wallgau. At the age of 16, Neuner finished high school (Realschule) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and decided to pursue a career in biathlon. Her parents were reluctant, but they eventually supported her ambition to become a professional biathlete.Wiedemann, Roland. Magdalena Neuner, Biathlon-Star und Profi-Strickerin. Der Spiegel. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
Career
Early career and World Cup debut Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old after she had participated in a try out course at her local ski club. She won 29 races at the biathlon Student's Cup of the German Ski Association (DSV), claiming the overall title in her respective age-group for four years in a row from 1999 to 2002. After finishing school, Neuner joined the German Customs Administration in August 2003 to become a member in the government-supported Customs-Ski-Team (Zoll-Ski-Team). She officially holds the rank of Erste Zollhauptwachtmeisterin (first head customs officer),German Federal Ministry of Finance. Magdalena Neuner . Zoll.de. Retrieved 20 September 2011. although she is a full-time professional athlete with no customs obligations. One of her team mates is alpine skiing world champion Maria Höfl-Riesch.German Federal Ministry of Finance. Maria Höfl-Riesch. Zoll.de. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
In December 2003, Neuner won the German Cup for 17-year-olds, which led to her appointment for the 2003–04 European Cup competition for juniors. With four wins at European level, Neuner qualified for the 2004 Junior/Youth World Championships in Haute Maurienne, France, where she won the sprint and relay events, as well as silver in the pursuit. One year later at the 2005 Junior/Youth World Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland, she claimed two silver medals (pursuit and relay), and again won the sprint discipline. With her success at junior level, Neuner at 18 years old, was considered one of Germany's biggest biathlon talents ever. Even before achieving any results at senior level, she had signed a sponsorship deal.Kreisl, Volker. Die Stubenmusik ist vorbei. Süddeutsche Zeitung. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
2005–06 World Cup season results No. World Cup location Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay 5 Ruhpolding, Germany – 41 21 – DNS 6 Antholz, Italy – 19 11 DNS – Turin, Italy Not nominated 7 Pokljuka, Slovenia – DNS DNS – – 8 Kontiolahti, Finland – 4 20 9 – 9 Oslo, Norway – 18 13 25 – Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start
During the 2005–06 season, Neuner made her first appearances in the Biathlon World Cup. Germany's women's national coach Uwe Müßiggang had already considered her for the team two years earlier, however, her parents and her hometown coaches Bernhard Kröll and Herbert Mayer were reluctant to let her start prematurely. On 13 January 2006, Neuner made her debut in the World Cup sprint race in Ruhpolding, Germany, where she substituted for the injured Uschi Disl. Although her first appearance ended unsuccessfully, coming in 41st place,International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 5 – Ruhpolding (GER) – Women 7.5 km Sprint. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011. she was appointed for nine more World Cup races for the remainder of the season.
Neuner returned as one of the favourites at the 2006 Junior/Youth World Championships in Presque Isle, Maine, United States, where she won two more titles (pursuit and relay) in addition to a silver medal in the sprint race. She did not participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics for the German team. At the World Cup in Kontiolahti in March 2006, Neuner achieved her first top ten finishes: she was fourth in the sprint and came in ninth in the mass start race.International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 8 – Kontiolahti (FIN) – Women 7.5 km Sprint. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011.International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 8 – Kontiolahti (FIN) – Women 12.5 km Mass Start. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
Three world championship titles (2006–07 season) 2006–07 World Cup season results No. World Cup location Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay 1 Östersund, Sweden 33 15 7 – – – 2 Hochfilzen, Austria – 27 8 – 2 – 3 Hochfilzen, Austria DNS 9 – – DNS – 4 Oberhof, Germany – 1 3 – DNS – 5 Ruhpolding, Germany – 16 – 15 2 – 6 Pokljuka, Slovenia – 10 9 DNS – – WCH Antholz, Italy DNS 1 1 14 1 DNS 7 Lahti, Finland 6 24 40 – – – 8 Oslo, Norway – 3 1 1 – – 9 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia – 1 1 8 – – Key:"—" denotes discipline not held; DNS—Did not start; WCH—World Championships
While she had only competed in ten races during her first World Cup winter, Neuner became a fixture in the German team in the 2006–07 season. She proved to be one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon, and at 19 years old, regularly set the fastest course times.Blume, Klaus. Fräulein Neuner und das erstaunliche Gespür für Schnee. kicker online. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2011. On 5 January 2007, Neuner won her first World Cup event, the sprint race in Oberhof, Germany.International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 4 – Oberhof (GER) – Women 7.5 km Sprint. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011. Her victory on home soil, before a crowd of 19,000 people, received considerable media attention and put her into the national spotlight for the first time.Ruwald, Helen. „Ich dachte, ich fliege“. Der Tagesspiegel. 6 January 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2011. Two days later at the pursuit race, she forgot to reload her rifle after a warm-up. She was handed a new magazine during the prone shooting and managed to finish third despite a total of six shooting errors.Sport-Informations-Dienst. Grubben und Bailly jagen Neuner erfolgreich . FOCUS Online. 7 January 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
Neuner was scheduled to compete at the junior world championships in 2007. However, following her first World Cup win, she was instead appointed for the senior World Championships in Antholz, Italy.Grätz, Harald. Magdalena Neuner (Archived). Microsoft Encarta. Retrieved 12 August 2011.. On 3 February 2007, she won gold in the sprint, beating Sweden's Anna Carin Olofsson by 2.3 seconds.International Biathlon Union. Biathlon World Championships – Antholz-Anterselva (ITA) – Women 7.5 km Sprint. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011. It was her first world championship event ever and only her second victory at senior level. One day later, she also claimed the pursuit title, in spite of four shooting errors.International Biathlon Union. Biathlon World Championships – Antholz-Anterselva (ITA) – Women 10 km Pursuit. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011. Following a 14th place in the mass start, Neuner, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, also won gold in the relay race on 11 February 2007.International Biathlon Union. Biathlon World Championships – Antholz-Anterselva (ITA) – Women's 4x6 km Relay. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011. With three titles, she was the championship's most successful athlete and became the youngest triple world champion.
At the end of the season, she continued her successful run with four more World Cup wins. In March 2007, Neuner won the pursuit and mass start races at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway,International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 8 – Oslo Holmenkollen (NOR) – Women 10 km Pursuit. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011.International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 8 – Oslo Holmenkollen (NOR) – Women 12.5 km Mass Start. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011. and she won the sprint and pursuit events at the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia,International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 9 – Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS) – Women 7.5 km Sprint. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011.International Biathlon Union. E.ON Ruhrgas World Cup 9 – Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS) – Women 10 km Pursuit. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 12 August 2011. giving her seven career World Cup wins. She ended her first complete season fourth in the Overall World Cup standings and finished second in the pursuit discipline. In the course of three months, Neuner had emerged from anonymity to become one of Germany's most popular female athletes. At the end of 2007, she had earned an estimated 1.3 million euros through sponsorship and endorsement deals.
Overall World Cup winner (2007–08 season)