Czech biathlete Marketa Davidova will not compete in the final stages of the World Cup, the team's sports director Ondřej Rybarz said, as quoted by the official website of the local federation.
The reason for Davydova's decision was a recurrence of a back injury. Due to this injury, the Czech biathlete missed part of the 2024/25 World Cup stages, as well as two stages before the start of the 2026 Olympics.
This season, Davydova has competed in four World Cup events. Together with the national team, she won bronze in the women's relay in Östersund, while her best individual result was 13th place in the sprint in Annecy.
At the 2026 Olympics, Davydova had a limited number of starts: in the mixed relay with the Czech Republic, she came 11th, and in the sprint, 81st.
Also, due to a long recovery from viral infections, Kristina Otcovska remains out of the Czech Republic's entry for the Kontiolahti stage. In the men's team, Jonas Mareček only recently returned to training, having missed the trips due to sinusitis.
In total, the coaching staff announced nine athletes for the stages in Kontiolahti and Otepää: five for the men's races and four for the women's.
Czech Republic national team squad for the World Cup stage in Kontiolahti and Otepää
- Men: Michal Krcmarz, Tomasz Mikiska, Mikulas Karlik, Witzeslaw Hornig, Petr Hak
- Women: Tereza Vobornikova, Jessica Jislova, Lucie Charvatova, Tereza Vinklarkova
The Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup will take place on March 5-8.