Biathlon

Müllauer on the podium: “I’ll pay a round for that!”

Fabian Müllauer (left) with the Norwegians Isak Frey and Sivert Bakken.

(Bild: Stancik/IBU)

The first podium finish for Austria's biathlete is in the bag! Fabian Müllauer from Salzburg shone in the IBU Cup sprint in Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia, with a flawless shooting performance and a strong run - which ultimately resulted in second place for the 21-year-old top talent.

"It's a dream," explained Fabian Müllauer in an interview with the "Krone". The Salzburg biathlete finished on the podium in the IBU Cup for the first time!

In the sprint in Brezno-Osrblie, he was not only able to confirm his performance from Wednesday's individual race (seventh place), but was even able to top it once again.

The man from Pinzgau, who competes for HSV Saalfelden, made no mistakes at the shooting range and was also able to hold his own against the outstanding Norwegians on the cross-country ski run.

Müllauer: "I just wanted to pull it off"
In the end, this resulted in silver, 45.2 seconds behind Isak Frey and 15.7 seconds ahead of his compatriot Sivert Bakken. "The individual gave me confidence. I just wanted to pull it off and work through my shots cleanly. The fact that the zero was there gave me extreme motivation for the final round."

However, he didn't initially believe he would make the podium. "I had hoped that the podium (the top 6, note) would work out. But then big names like Bakken stayed behind me. But I only really believed it when the race was over."

The joy was not only great for the 21-year-old, who is a member of the Salzburg Olympic squad, but also for the team and those around him. "It was extreme," laughs Müllauer, "I still haven't finished answering the messages. There must have been 50 people who got in touch."

A big thank you went to his service man. "My skis were really top, Kitzi did a great job," Müllauer addressed Gerhard Kitzbichler.

Exhausted but happy: Fabian Müllauer after his second place.

(Bild: Stancik/IBU)

What particularly impressed the youngster? "Everyone was so welcoming and extremely happy for me. That was really nice. It's a relief for all of us, because nobody expected it."

The relays (mixed and single mixed) are still on the program on Saturday, after which Müllauer wants to pull out his wallet. "I'll pay for a round at the Mäci on the way home," he laughed.