Magdalena Neuner
Magdalena “Lena” Neuner
(9 February 1987, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany)
Nationality: Germany
Category: Athletes
Occupation: Biathlonists
Unique distinction: The youngest triple-World Champion and Overall World Cup winner in biathlon ever.
Height: 165 cm (5′ 5″).
Weight: 56 kg (123 lbs)
Gender: Female
(9 February 1987, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany)
Nationality: Germany
Category: Athletes
Occupation: Biathlonists
Unique distinction: The youngest triple-World Champion and Overall World Cup winner in biathlon ever.
Height: 165 cm (5′ 5″).
Weight: 56 kg (123 lbs)
Gender: Female
Quotes:
1. My life motto is “Do my best, so that I can’t blame myself for anything.”
2. I knew what I wanted to do in sport from the age of nine.
3. I haven’t let the gold medal out of my sight; it sleeps next to me in bed.
4. I don’t think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon as I see the targets, I tune them out.
5. Knitting not only relaxes me, it also brings a feeling of being at home.
1. My life motto is “Do my best, so that I can’t blame myself for anything.”
2. I knew what I wanted to do in sport from the age of nine.
3. I haven’t let the gold medal out of my sight; it sleeps next to me in bed.
4. I don’t think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon as I see the targets, I tune them out.
5. Knitting not only relaxes me, it also brings a feeling of being at home.
Video: All Seasons
Website: magdalenaneuner
Achievements and contributions:
Social and professional position: Magdalena Neuner is a retired German professional biathlete.
The main contribution to (what is known): She is the most successful woman of all time at the Biathlon World Championships and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Contributions: Magdalena Neuner is an outstanding German professional biathlete. She is a double Olympic champion and twelve-time world champion and winner of three Overall World Cup in biathlon.
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.
Overall Record.
During her seven World Cup seasons, Neuner won 34 World Cup races and achieved 63 podium finishes. As a result, she has won the Overall World Cup title three times, in 2007–08, in 2009–10 and her final season in 2011–12 and also 7 Discipline titles.
During six appearances at Biathlon World Championships, Neuner claimed 17 medals: twelve gold, four silver and one bronze. In addition, she has won seven gold and four silver medals at the Biathlon Junior/Youth World Championships.
Rank (World Cup Women): #1 (1216) On 16 June 2012.
First Year in Biathlon: 1996, in National team: 2003.
She is an actress, known for Mit den Waffen einer Frau – Gold im Visier (2007), Star Biathlon (2005) and Sturm der Liebe (2005).
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.
Honours and Awards: German Sportswoman of the Year – 2007, 2011, 2012. Biathlon Award for Female Newcomer of the Year – 2007. Biathlon Award for Female Athlete of the Year – 2007, 2008. Goldener Ski of the DSV – 2007, 2008, 2010. Biathlete of the Year of the Forum Nordicum – 2008, 2010, Silbernes Lorbeerblatt – 2010.
Creative style: Neuner has established herself as one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon, but she is also noted for her volatile shooting performances in the standing position.
As of March 2010, Neuner has a career shooting accuracy of 78%. Her career average in the prone position is 88%, while her career average in the standing position is 67%.
Major works: Three Overall World Cup title, 34 World Cup, double Olympic champion and 12-time world champion in biathlon. Filmography: WinterStar (2013), Star Biathlon (2013-2014), Deutschlands Superhirn (2013), Das aktuelle Sportstudio (2010-2012), Storm of Love (2012), Wetten, dass..? (2008), Stern TV (2008), Mit den Waffen einer Frau – Gold im Visier (2007).
The main contribution to (what is known): She is the most successful woman of all time at the Biathlon World Championships and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Contributions: Magdalena Neuner is an outstanding German professional biathlete. She is a double Olympic champion and twelve-time world champion and winner of three Overall World Cup in biathlon.
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.
Overall Record.
During her seven World Cup seasons, Neuner won 34 World Cup races and achieved 63 podium finishes. As a result, she has won the Overall World Cup title three times, in 2007–08, in 2009–10 and her final season in 2011–12 and also 7 Discipline titles.
During six appearances at Biathlon World Championships, Neuner claimed 17 medals: twelve gold, four silver and one bronze. In addition, she has won seven gold and four silver medals at the Biathlon Junior/Youth World Championships.
Rank (World Cup Women): #1 (1216) On 16 June 2012.
First Year in Biathlon: 1996, in National team: 2003.
She is an actress, known for Mit den Waffen einer Frau – Gold im Visier (2007), Star Biathlon (2005) and Sturm der Liebe (2005).
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.
Honours and Awards: German Sportswoman of the Year – 2007, 2011, 2012. Biathlon Award for Female Newcomer of the Year – 2007. Biathlon Award for Female Athlete of the Year – 2007, 2008. Goldener Ski of the DSV – 2007, 2008, 2010. Biathlete of the Year of the Forum Nordicum – 2008, 2010, Silbernes Lorbeerblatt – 2010.
Creative style: Neuner has established herself as one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon, but she is also noted for her volatile shooting performances in the standing position.
As of March 2010, Neuner has a career shooting accuracy of 78%. Her career average in the prone position is 88%, while her career average in the standing position is 67%.
Major works: Three Overall World Cup title, 34 World Cup, double Olympic champion and 12-time world champion in biathlon. Filmography: WinterStar (2013), Star Biathlon (2013-2014), Deutschlands Superhirn (2013), Das aktuelle Sportstudio (2010-2012), Storm of Love (2012), Wetten, dass..? (2008), Stern TV (2008), Mit den Waffen einer Frau – Gold im Visier (2007).
Career and personal life:
Origin: Magdalena Neuner was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, the second of four children of bank clerk Paul Neuner and his wife Margit. She has an elder brother Paul, and two younger siblings—her brother Christoph and her sister Anna, who are both aspiring biathletes as well and participate in junior competitions. Neuner grew up in the small Bavarian town of Wallgau, approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Education: She attended high school (Realschule) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Education: She attended high school (Realschule) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Career highlights:
Neuner started alpine skiing when she was four years old and later tried various other winter sports at her hometown ski club SC Wallgau.
Magdalena 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.
She joined the German Customs Administration to become a member of the government-funded Customs-Ski-Team.
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. She won five junior world championship titles from 2004 to 2006.
With her success at the junior level, Neuner at 18 years old, was considered one of Germany’s biggest biathlon talents ever.
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.
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.
On 5 January 2007, Neuner won her first World Cup event, the sprint race in Oberhof, Germany.
Later, she became one of the stars of the German biathlon team with three gold medals in the 2007 Biathlon World Championships in Antholz, Italy
After winning three world championship gold medals in 2007, Neuner was named German Sportswoman of the Year in 2007.
At the 2008 World Championships in Östersund, Sweden, she again won three titles, becoming the youngest six-time world champion. In 2008 she reached also first place in the Biathlon World Cup in that year. At the age of 21, she became the youngest Overall World Cup winner in the history of the International Biathlon Union (IBU).
Neuner’s preparation for the 2008–09 season was affected by several illnesses. Thus the 2008–09 season had been extremely difficult for her psychologically, and she even briefly contemplated retirement.
In the 2010 Winter Olympics, she was one of the gold medal favourites. The first race (on February 13) was the 7.5 km sprint, where she reached a silver medal. Three days later (on February 16), she won the gold medal in the pursuit race. On February 21, her second gold medal followed in the mass start.
Neuner won The Mixed Relay Biathlon World Championships which was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia on March 28, 2010. She also won the Overall World Cup for the second time in the 2009–10 season.
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 the third time.
Neuner retired from the sport in March 2012.
Magdalena 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.
She joined the German Customs Administration to become a member of the government-funded Customs-Ski-Team.
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. She won five junior world championship titles from 2004 to 2006.
With her success at the junior level, Neuner at 18 years old, was considered one of Germany’s biggest biathlon talents ever.
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.
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.
On 5 January 2007, Neuner won her first World Cup event, the sprint race in Oberhof, Germany.
Later, she became one of the stars of the German biathlon team with three gold medals in the 2007 Biathlon World Championships in Antholz, Italy
After winning three world championship gold medals in 2007, Neuner was named German Sportswoman of the Year in 2007.
At the 2008 World Championships in Östersund, Sweden, she again won three titles, becoming the youngest six-time world champion. In 2008 she reached also first place in the Biathlon World Cup in that year. At the age of 21, she became the youngest Overall World Cup winner in the history of the International Biathlon Union (IBU).
Neuner’s preparation for the 2008–09 season was affected by several illnesses. Thus the 2008–09 season had been extremely difficult for her psychologically, and she even briefly contemplated retirement.
In the 2010 Winter Olympics, she was one of the gold medal favourites. The first race (on February 13) was the 7.5 km sprint, where she reached a silver medal. Three days later (on February 16), she won the gold medal in the pursuit race. On February 21, her second gold medal followed in the mass start.
Neuner won The Mixed Relay Biathlon World Championships which was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia on March 28, 2010. She also won the Overall World Cup for the second time in the 2009–10 season.
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 the third time.
Neuner retired from the sport in March 2012.
Personal life:
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.
Neuner had been involved in a nearly two-year relationship with Austrian ski technician and former biathlete Franz Perwein. In January 2008, she announced they had split. One month later, Neuner confirmed that she was involved in a relationship with DSV chief biathlon technician Björn Weisheit.
She has been married to Josef Holzer, a school-day friend from Wallgau, since March 29, 2014. She gave birth to her 1st child at age 27, a daughter Verena Anna Holzer on May 30, 2014, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The couple also has a son, Josef Valentin, born on 8 November 2016.
Neuner had been involved in a nearly two-year relationship with Austrian ski technician and former biathlete Franz Perwein. In January 2008, she announced they had split. One month later, Neuner confirmed that she was involved in a relationship with DSV chief biathlon technician Björn Weisheit.
She has been married to Josef Holzer, a school-day friend from Wallgau, since March 29, 2014. She gave birth to her 1st child at age 27, a daughter Verena Anna Holzer on May 30, 2014, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The couple also has a son, Josef Valentin, born on 8 November 2016.
Magdalena is interested in knitting. She maintains a knitting website, which includes detailed knitting instructions and a “knitting blog”.
She has stated that she usually takes knitting equipment on her travels during the season and that knitting is a way for her to relax.
She is good friends with her German teammate Kathrin Hitzer and both usually share a room during World Cup trips.
Neuner is an ambassador for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.
In 2007, she bought her grandmother’s house in the Bavarian village of Wallgau, a small alpine village of 1,400 people, where she now lives in her own flat.
Zest: Nicknames: Lena, Shooting Star, Turbo-Lena, Miracle Runner and Gold Lena. Her official profession is Custom Officer. Her Eye Color: Blue; Hair Color: Blonde. Her hobbies are Music (she plays the harp), Motorcycling, Knitting, mountain biking, hiking and swimming.
Her Race Suit: Adidas; rifle: Anschütz; Skis: Fischer; Gloves: Röckl.
In February 2007, Neuner declined an offer to appear nude in the German edition of Playboy. Neuner’s club was SC Wallgau. Her personal coach was Bernhard Kröll and Uwe Müßiggang (national coach).
