1. Magdalena Neuner –
the one who ruins
stereotypes
Konkina Alexandra
RIMO-203

2. Magdalena Neuner (born 9 February 1987) is a 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 . She has won the
Overall World Cup title three times. 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. She made her World Cup debut in
2006 and won her first World Cup race in January 2007. In the
2007–08 season Neuner won the Overall World Cup and World
Championships. After 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.
During her seven World Cup seasons, Neuner won 34 World Cup
races and achieved 63 podium finishes. During six appearances at
Biathlon World Championships, Neuner claimed 17 medals: twelve
gold, four silver and one bronze.
Neuner has lived in the Bavarian village of Wallgau since birth. 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 and 2011.

3. If you were born in a small town you won’t be able to achieve anything.
Magdalena Neuner grew up in the small Bavarian village of Wallgau, which
population is only 1000 people. Here she tried various other winter sports. At the age of 16,
Neuner finished high school and decided to pursue a career in biathlon. Her parents were
reluctant, but they eventually supported her ambition to become a professional biathlete.
Now Magdalena Neuner is one of the most famous biathlonist in the world.

4. If you don’t have rich parents, you have no chance to become a
professional athlete.
Magdalena Neuner’s father was a clerk in a very small bank in Wallgau and her
mother didn’t work at all, because she was very busy bringing up her children. Their month
income was less, than the money Magdalena receives today for a victory in a lap of the
World Cup. Nevertheless Magdalena managed to pursue her dream and succeeded to make
a breathtaking, meteoric career in biathlon.

5. If don’t take performance-enhancing drugs, you won’t be able to become a
champion.
Magdalena Neuner has never been caught on taking performance-enhancing drugs
(what unfortunately can’t be said about our national team). Nevertheless Neuner was one of
the fastest female cross-country skiers in biathlon. During 66 of her 151 World Cup races
(44%), she has set the fastest course time. Also Neuner averaged a career shooting
accuracy of 78%. The secret of her success is in daily trainings. All the year round she is
working extremely hard, that’s why she has become one of the best biathletes.

6. If the girl is from Germany, she can’t be pretty.
Magdalena Neuner refutes this
stereotype completely. Of course, tastes
differ, however no one would argue that
petite, graceful and blond woman looks
beautiful. When you once see her shining
eyes and bewitching smile, you will
become a biathlon fan just to watch her as
often as possible. And not only we, normal
viewers, but also commentators, other
biathletes make mentions about her
beauty.

7. If you have already won some competitions, sooner or later the luck will
leave you
A lot can be said about her successes, but it will take a lot of time to talk about all her awards, so
I suggest you to look at the table.
Event Sprint Pursuit Mass Start Relay Mixed Relay
2010 Winter Silver Gold Gold - -
Olympics,
Vancouver
World Gold Gold 14th Gold -
championship
2007
World 17th 6th Gold Gold Gold
championship
2008
World 8th 11th 7th Silver -
championship
2009
World Not held in an Olympic season Gold
championship
2010
World Gold Silver Gold Gold Silver
championship
2011
World Gold Silver 10th Gold Bronze
championship
2012

8. If you are an athlete, you are a loser in all spheres except sport.
As you have probably understood, Magdalena Neuner is an outstanding biathlete.
But she is not narrow-minded at all. Besides biathlon has she success in many other
spheres gained. For example she is starring in the German series “Sturm der Liebe”. Also
she is playing harp, singing and riding a horse. So she is a really many-sided person, isn’t
she?

9. If you like knitting, you should be a either a “babushka” or a really dull
person.
Magdalena’s main hobby is knitting. She has wrote a book on this theme,
appeared in several TV shows she also was chose as a face of one of knitting brand. And
because of her bright personality kitting is getting more and more popular in Germany and
outside the country. A lot of world-famous biathletes prefer to wear caps which were
knitted by Magdalena. And nobody doesn’t even think about referring Neuner to
“babushkas” or dull persons.

10. If in your life everything is OK, you don’t care about people who need help
and support.
Magdalena devotes a lot of her time to charity, however she doesn’t want anybody
to know about it. A lot of famous people do charity work in order to gain fame, but this
cannot be said about Magdalena. Very seldom managed journalists to imprint Magdalena
doing charity, but this doesn’t belittle her services, on the opposite side it makes her work
more valuable and important.
Magdalena took part in
the reconstruction of
children’s hospital
“Irmengardhof” in the
village Mittern.

11. If you devote all your time to sport, you don’t have any time for your private
life.
Magdalena doesn’t have a
starring boyfriend. But the fact is, that
she does have one. With her extremely
busy schedule she finds time for him,
she loves and she is loved. Her
boyfriend is Josef Holzer, a school day
friend from Wallgau. They have been
avoiding publicity for a very long time
and only in 2011 they appeared together
in the ceremony of German
Sportswoman of the Year.

12. If you are an athlete, you don’t have to have any serious profession.
Magdalena After finishing school, Neune joined the German Customs
Administration in August 2003. She officially holds the rank of Erste
Zollhauptwachtmeisterin (first head customs officer), although she is a full time
professional athlete. When not competing, Neuner works as a German Customs Officer.

13. If you are good at shooting, you are bad at skiing, and vice versa.
Neuner was one of the fastest female cross-country skiers in biathlon. During 66 of
her 151 World Cup races (44%), she has set the fastest course time (race time without
time spent at the shooting range or in the penalty loop). In addition, she has been among
the top three fastest skiers in 77% of her career races. Neuner averaged a career
shooting accuracy of 78%. Her career average in the prone position was 88%, while her
career average in the standing position was 67%. Her shooting results in the prone
position were similar to other top contenders. The standing shoot had long been her weak
point and her hit percentage was well below average in the World Cup field, although it
had improved considerably in her later seasons.

14. If you achieve the summit of fame, you forget about your origins.
As it have been said a lot of times before, Magdalena took practically all podiums in
the biathlon races. But she has never forgotten about her origins. n 2007, she bought her
grandmother's house in Wallgau, where she now lives. Every year she takes part in
annual traditional Bavarian festival in Wallgau, supports other cultural events and in tote
makes a lot of things to preserve national culture.

15. Athletes are not interested in politics at all.
Magdalena Neuner doesn’t belong to such persons. She understands that she has a
big authority in the society, and she is trying to use her authority to public wellbeing of her
own town and region. In 2011 she had a meeting with Angela Merkel.

16. Women can’t be football fans.
 Magdalena Neuner has said a lot of times that she is a big football fan. In the
previous year she brought the cup in the final of German Football Cup in Berlin. With a
shining dress and a sophisticated appearance gave her image for the final in the Football
Federation. That makes her a world image of sports. But especially she likes woman
football. “I’m looking forward to the next FIFA Women’s World Cup”, - said Magdalena in one
of the interviews.

17. I hope, that my presentation has helped you to
understand that sometimes stereotypes are no more
than empty words. And luckily, there are such people
as Magdalena Neuner, who ruin all the stereotypes.
Thank you for your attention!

18.  http://www.magdalena-
neuner.de/cms/website.php
 http://www.merkur-
online.de/wintersport/magdalena-
neuner/magdalena-neuner-merkur-interview-
2274697.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4kli2dnWxw
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqmFAbK4fTk
 «Danke Lena - Die Traumkarriere der Magdalena Neuner»