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»