Biathlon, Lesser: Former world champion Erik Lesser ends his biathlon career at the end of the season. “That’s it for me. I’m packing my things here now, doing my three World Cups and then: Adios Amigos! Then it’s enough for me and that fits quite well,” said the 33-year-old on Thursday in his podcast “Das Biathlon double room”. Accordingly, the Thuringian surprisingly renounces the home world championship of the ski hunters in 2023 in his place of residence Oberhof. “Many will now ask: Why don’t you do the World Championships at home in Oberhof? But that’s another year of hard work,” Lesser said before the last race of his career.
After Arnd Peiffer and Simon Schempp last year, another veteran is leaving the German Ski Association team. Lesser won two world titles in the pursuit and men’s relay in his career in 2015, and he also won a total of three Olympic medals, two of them in Sochi 2014. At his last games two weeks ago in Beijing, the two-time World Cup winner went away empty-handed. For Lesser, the World Cups in Kontiolahti, Finland, in Otepää/Estonia and finally in Norway’s capital Oslo are still on the program. “In the cradle of winter sports, I can say goodbye, hopefully in a mass start. That’s a very round departure,” said Lesser in the podcast, which he does with buddy Peiffer.
Formel 1, Red Bull: Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has extended his contract with Red Bull by another five years until the end of 2028. “I love this team and the last year has been just amazing. Our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we did that, so now it’s about becoming number one on the car in the long run hold,” said the 24-year-old Dutchman on Thursday. Verstappen’s current contract expired at the end of 2023.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “Our immediate focus is to retain Max’s world title, but this deal also shows that it is part of the team’s long-term plan.” Verstappen has been driving in Formula 1 since 2015 and for Red Bull since 2016. Last year he became world champion for the first time. Verstappen secured his premiere title in a crazy World Cup final against Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton at the end of 2021.
