106 Facts About Magdalena Neuner

Magdalena Neuner is the most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Magdalena Neuner made her World Cup debut in 2006 and won her first World Cup race in January 2007.

Magdalena Neuner had been noted for her volatile shooting performances in the standing position, particularly in the early years of her career, often at the expense of better results.

Magdalena Neuner was named German Sportswoman of the Year in 2007,2011 and 2012.

Magdalena Neuner's sister is an aspiring biathlete who participates in junior competitions and is a member in the youth squad of the Bavarian Ski Association.

Magdalena 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 Neuner's parents were reluctant, but they eventually supported her ambition to become a professional biathlete.

Magdalena Neuner won 29 races at the biathlon Student's Cup of the German Ski Association, claiming the overall title in her respective age-group for four years in a row from 1999 to 2002.

Magdalena Neuner officially holds the rank of Erste Zollhauptwachtmeisterin, although she is a full-time professional athlete with no customs obligations.

On 13 January 2006, Magdalena Neuner made her debut in the World Cup sprint race in Ruhpolding, Germany, where she substituted for the injured Uschi Disl.

Magdalena Neuner did not participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics for the German team.

At the World Cup in Kontiolahti in March 2006, Magdalena Neuner achieved her first top ten finishes: she was fourth in the sprint and came in ninth in the mass start race.

Magdalena Neuner proved to be one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon, and at 19 years old, regularly set the fastest course times.

Magdalena Neuner was handed a new magazine during the prone shooting and managed to finish third despite a total of six shooting errors.

Magdalena Neuner was scheduled to compete at the junior world championships in 2007.

In March 2007, Magdalena Neuner won the pursuit and mass start races at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, and she won the sprint and pursuit events at the season final in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, giving her seven career World Cup wins.

Magdalena Neuner ended her first complete season fourth in the Overall World Cup standings and finished second in the pursuit discipline.

Magdalena Neuner claimed her eighth World Cup win at the mass start in Oberhof in January 2008, and later that month won the relay race in Ruhpolding with the German team.

Magdalena Neuner won gold in the sprint and the pursuit, but withdrew from the individual race to prepare for the senior world championships alongside her German team mates.

Magdalena Neuner failed to defend her titles in the sprint and pursuit races, with shooting errors preventing better results; she finished 17th and sixth respectively.

Magdalena Neuner had four shooting errors compared to Berger's one and skied side by side with the Norwegian for most of the last lap, in what she later described as her hardest fought victory ever.

Alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm, Magdalena Neuner claimed gold in the relay race on 17 February 2008.

Magdalena Neuner was the youngest Overall World Cup winner since the International Biathlon Union was established in 1993.

In Ruhpolding in January 2009, Magdalena Neuner was part of the winning German relay team.

Magdalena Neuner later described it as a pivotal moment in her career and called it the "total end of the world".

Magdalena Neuner finished eighth in the sprint, in which she crashed on a downhill slope, and came in eleventh in the pursuit race.

Magdalena Neuner was not appointed for the individual race and could not start in the mixed relay due to her cold.

On 21 February 2009, Magdalena Neuner claimed silver as part Germany's women's relay team, alongside Martina Beck, Andrea Henkel and Kati Wilhelm.

Magdalena Neuner ended the season fourth in the Overall Biathlon World Cup, which was generally considered disappointing in the media.

Magdalena Neuner started working with a psychologist and cut down her media appearances as much as possible in the summer.

Magdalena Neuner competed at the Summer Biathlon World Championships for the first time in September 2009 when they were held in Oberhof.

Magdalena Neuner returned at the following races in Hochfilzen, but was still affected by her cold and finished outside the top 20.

Shortly before the Oberhof sprint in January 2010, Magdalena Neuner injured her back during warm-up and had to withdraw.

Magdalena Neuner returned in Ruhpolding where she came in third in both the sprint and the mass start race.

Magdalena Neuner came in second in the pursuit, which marked her seventh consecutive podium finish.

Magdalena Neuner went into her first Winter Olympics in Vancouver with the declared aim of winning a gold medal.

Magdalena Neuner uncharacteristically lost five seconds against the unheralded Slovak on the cross-country course, which led to speculation of inferior ski preparation in the German media.

Three days later, Magdalena Neuner won gold in the subsequent pursuit race.

Magdalena Neuner had three shooting mistakes and said it had been difficult for her to immediately get her concentration back after winning her first gold medal.

On 21 February 2010, Magdalena Neuner claimed her second gold of the Games in the mass start.

Magdalena Neuner's withdrawal allowed her friend Martina Beck a start in her last Olympic Games.

Magdalena Neuner was Germany's most successful athlete in Vancouver and was chosen to carry the German flag at the closing ceremony.

Magdalena Neuner came in second in the Kontiolahti pursuit, and third in Oslo's mass start race, which increased her World Cup lead after taking over the yellow bib in Vancouver.

Magdalena Neuner won the pursuit and mass start discipline World Cups.

Magdalena Neuner continued the winter with mixed results in January 2011.

Magdalena Neuner reached the podium in the sprints of Oberhof and Ruhpolding, coming in second and third respectively.

Magdalena Neuner had her worst personal result in 13 months, finishing in 16th place in the Ruhpolding individual race, which ended her streak of 24 consecutive top ten finishes.

At the World Cup in Antholz, Magdalena Neuner again struggled with illness.

Magdalena Neuner only participated in the concluding mass start, coming in 6th place.

One week later in Fort Kent, Maine, Magdalena Neuner finished all three races on the podium.

At the 2011 World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Magdalena Neuner won three gold and two silver medals.

Magdalena Neuner claimed silver, alongside Andrea Henkel, Arnd Peiffer and Michael Greis, in the opening mixed relay.

On 5 March 2011, Magdalena Neuner won the sprint race courtesy of a clean shooting performance.

Magdalena Neuner finished second in the pursuit and fifth in the individual subsequently.

On 12 March 2011, Magdalena Neuner won her second title in the mass start despite four shooting errors.

Magdalena Neuner eventually finished fifth in the overall standings, having missed five of the season's 26 races.

Magdalena Neuner began the winter in Ostersund with the best season start of her career, beating Tora Berger by 0.2 seconds in the sprint to claim her 25th World Cup win.

Magdalena Neuner came third in the individual and the pursuit, and took the yellow bib of the Overall World Cup leader.

On 6 December 2011, Magdalena Neuner announced her retirement from biathlon by the end of the season on her homepage.

Magdalena Neuner explained her early departure from the sport with a lack of motivation and her desire for a normal life.

Magdalena Neuner nonetheless continued her good form in Hochfilzen, where she claimed her 26th World Cup win in the sprint.

Magdalena Neuner suffered one of the biggest mishaps of her career, when she fired on the wrong targets in the Nove Mesto pursuit, dropping from first to seventh place.

Magdalena Neuner recovered quickly by winning the sprint race in Antholz one week later.

At the 2012 World Championships in Ruhpolding, Magdalena Neuner won bronze in the opening mixed relay, alongside Andrea Henkel, Andreas Birnbacher and Arnd Peiffer.

Magdalena Neuner dropped to second place one day later in the pursuit, in which Domracheva overtook her at the final shooting bout.

Magdalena Neuner became only the second woman after Magdalena Forsberg to win the overall title more than twice.

On 18 March 2012, Magdalena Neuner ended her biathlon career with a sixth place in the Khanty-Mansiysk mass start.

Magdalena Neuner was one of the fastest female cross-country skiers in biathlon.

Magdalena Neuner set the fastest course time in 19 of her 25 races and was second or third fastest in the remaining six.

Magdalena Neuner had been a fast cross-country skier from an early age.

At the age of 15, Magdalena Neuner managed to set the same skiing times as her coeval male training partners.

Magdalena Neuner reached third place in the Oberhof pursuit in January 2007 with six missed targets.

Magdalena Neuner's shooting results in the prone position were similar to other top contenders.

Magdalena Neuner's shooting performances have been a regular topic in the German media.

Magdalena Neuner has insisted her difficulties in the standing position are not due to technical weaknesses but psychological, and her training results are just as good as the results of her team mates.

Magdalena Neuner explained in interviews that she had developed a fear of the standing shooting over time, knowing she had to justify herself after the race if she missed.

In 2008, Magdalena Neuner trained with Bundeswehr shooting coach and former large calibre world champion, Rudi Krenn, and subsequently changed her stance slightly.

Magdalena Neuner has been wearing ear plugs during some of the races in order to better concentrate while shooting.

Magdalena Neuner shot clean on two other occasions, the sprint in Kontiolahti in March 2006, coming in fourth place, and the Ostersund sprint in December 2008, finishing third.

Magdalena Neuner's worst shooting performance came in December 2008, with a total of nine shooting errors at the World Cup pursuit in Hochfilzen.

Magdalena Neuner's costliest shooting occurred during a mass start race in Antholz in January 2009.

Magdalena Neuner has lived in Wallgau, Bavaria, Germany, a small alpine village of 1,400 people, from birth.

Magdalena Neuner has said she enjoys mountain biking, hiking and swimming during the off-season.

In December 2009, Magdalena Neuner confirmed a romantic relationship with Josef Holzer, a school day friend from Wallgau.

Magdalena Neuner's popularity grew further with her success during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Magdalena Neuner later received the Fair Play medal of Germany's Olympic Society for setting an example of "team spirit".

Magdalena Neuner won the Biathlon Award, chosen by the national coaches of the World Cup teams, for Female Athlete of the Year in both 2007 and 2008, and she was awarded the Goldener Ski, the highest award of the German Ski Association in 2007,2008 and 2010.

Magdalena Neuner was chosen as Germany's 2007 Sportswoman of the Year by the country's sports journalists.

Nine months after her retirement, Magdalena Neuner received Germany's Sportswoman of the Year award for a third time.

Magdalena Neuner has stated that she usually takes knitting equipment on her travels during the season and that knitting is a way for her to relax.

In 2007, Magdalena Neuner declined an offer to appear nude in the German edition of Playboy.

In 2010, Magdalena Neuner appeared in an advertising campaign for a lingerie line.

Magdalena Neuner explained she tried to use it in a deliberate attempt to correct her media image, after becoming irritated with her public persona of "little sweet Lena".

Magdalena Neuner was an ambassador for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.

Magdalena Neuner has won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Winter Olympic Games.

Magdalena Neuner is the most successful female biathlete in the history of Biathlon World Championships.

Magdalena Neuner has won seventeen medals, twelve gold, four silver and one bronze.

At her debut during the 2007 World Championships in Antholz, Italy, Magdalena Neuner won three titles.

Magdalena Neuner did not win a title at the 2009 World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea; her best result was the silver medal in the relay event.

Magdalena Neuner won her second mixed relay gold in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, in 2010.

At her final championships in 2012, Magdalena Neuner won her world titles eleven and twelve, as well as her fourth silver and her first bronze medal.

Magdalena Neuner has often started slowly at the beginning of a winter season and has claimed only three of her individual victories before Christmas.

Magdalena Neuner has claimed at least one win in each discipline of biathlon and has scored World Cup points in all but three of her races.

Magdalena Neuner has reached a total of 82 World Cup podiums.

In 2004, at her first junior world championships in Haute Maurienne, France, Magdalena Neuner won two titles.

Magdalena Neuner returned to the junior world championships in 2008 when they were held in Ruhpolding, Germany, winning two more gold medals.