Father and son Eder: A biathlon duel of generations!

Father and son Eder: A biathlon duel of generations!

In the world of biathlon, which is characterized by precise shooting and strenuous running, two names are at the top: Alfred Eder and his son Simon Eder. Alfred, who ended his career in 1995, won bronze twice at world championships during his career. Now, over 20 years later, the sports world is looking at Simon, who has not only overtaken his father's successes, but will also be celebrating his 42nd birthday in a few days. How LAOLA1 According to reports, Simon particularly stood out for his accuracy at the shooting range, where he is considered one of the best shooters of his generation.

The secret of a good shooter? According to Simon, it depends on many factors, including the choice of the right ammunition and the individual fine technique. “Good ammunition and staying calm under pressure make the difference,” says Simon. Standing shooting is particularly challenging for left-handers like him. Despite the challenges, he sees the opportunity to continually improve his shooting times, with modern technologies such as electronic shooting ranges playing a crucial role, as Alfred Eder also reports in his review of the development of shooting training. “Shooting times have become shorter and you simply have to be more precise and faster these days,” explains Alfred. The verb “shoot” in German is the focus when it comes to the art of precise shooting.

The pressure is increasing

Both athletes confirm that the pressure in modern biathlon is extremely high. Simon has noticed that the competition on the shooting range is getting tougher and shooting times are decreasing. “If you need 40 seconds for two shooting units in a sprint, that has a significant impact on the race result,” explains the biathlete. The question of the fastest shooting times is particularly exciting, because while the record is 12.9 seconds, Simon and Alfred see a limit to further improvements.

Alfred's look at shoulders and mental strength makes it clear how important it is to deal with stress in a focused manner: "Mental training is crucial to prepare for the competition," he emphasizes. Stressful situations, such as forgotten magazines, have led to problems even for the best shooters, as the two Eder brothers emphasize. While their focus now turns to the upcoming Biathlon World Championships, it remains to be seen what new records they will achieve.