The second men’s place was decided only in the Saturday sprint in Ruhpolding, where Adamov succeeded in an internal qualifying battle with Martin Maťek as part of the World Cup race.
Adamov took 74th place after two shooting errors, but Maťko finished sixteen places behind him despite ten successful shots.
Of the six qualified representatives, only Paulína Bátovská Fialková and Anastasia Kuzminová have Olympic experience, who won three gold and three silver medals under five rings.
The most experienced members of the team won their place at the 2026 Olympics directly – by placing in the top 30 races of the World Cup in the current season.
In the case of the remaining four biathletes, the so-called qualification points for the three best results from the current and also the previous edition of the SP.
Zuzana Remeňová also fought for the nomination until the last moment, but in the end she did not succeed and will not join her sister Mária in the colors of Slovakia.
“There are days when dreams break into pieces and one feels that one’s heart cannot keep up with reality. The 2026 Olympics will not become a reality for me. I am crying, it hurts and I am extremely sorry.
I gave it my all and it hurts more. Still, I know I don’t want to give up! I may not understand why now, but I believe that the one above has a plan for me that makes sense, even if I can’t see it yet.
Every tear, every disappointment and every obstacle moves me somewhere. This is not the end of my journey. Just her silent, painful chapter,” wrote Zuzana Remeňová in a post on the Instagram social network.
According to the union, she will be in the position of a substitute and ready to step in if one of her compatriots has to leave the Olympic venue for health reasons.
The biathlon program will begin on Sunday, February 8, with a mixed 4 x 6 km relay, and on Saturday, February 21, it will conclude with a women’s race with a mass start.
For Slovak viewers, the women’s relay will probably be the biggest draw, as last year the Slovaks were sixth at the World Championships and in December they added the 5th place in Hochfilzen.
“I think the fans are registering the results the babies have shown over the last year. They’ve had five top 10 finishes since last year’s Ruhpolding.
Of course, we don’t want to create pressure on them, but we have certain expectations from the relay,” SZB general secretary Patrik Kristlík told Sportnet.
