The demonstrations of power by Johannes Thingnes Bö and his Norwegian compatriots make the German biathletes despair a month before the home world championships.

"In my world, I really shut him out.

It's a different league, today he has a huge lead again," said Roman Rees after Bö's fourth win in the fourth sprint of the season.

29-year-old Rees finished eighth in Slovenia on Friday, while team-mate Benedikt Doll was fourth and came closest to a superior trio from Scandinavia on the podium.

"Overall, the Norwegians are so strong," said Rees.

And so the four-time Beijing Olympic champion Bo won ahead of his older brother Tarjei and Sturla Holm Laegreid.

At his sixth win of the season, the Gust, who had one penalty, had an almost unreal lead of 48.1 seconds.

Laegreid was 55.6 seconds behind his teammate after one penalty.

After a shooting error, Doll was only 7.7 seconds short of third place and thus a possible second podium place this season.

"Of course I'm very satisfied," said the 32-year-old after an exhausting ten kilometers: "It was really hard work today and I'm happy that I was rewarded for it." Rees also missed an even better result with a penalty loop.

Johannes Thingnes Bö a class of its own

Doll, who was 38th at the World Championships two years ago at a height of 1300 meters and had no chance at all, had only missed the eighth of his ten shots, very close to the right.

“My standing shooting was way too slow.

I actually wanted to try something offensive, but I don't dare and then I lose a lot of time," said the former world champion: "If a mistake then happens, then the calculation doesn't add up."

Winner Bö also had to run a penalty loop, but was once again in a class of his own on the cross-country ski run - Doll was 1:03.3 minutes behind the four-time Beijing Olympic champion.

The other competitors didn't even come close to the 29-year-old.

In terms of running time, however, Doll was top in fifth place and managed the second fastest final lap behind high-flyer Bö: "I'm happy about that." That's another reason why he has good chances in the pursuit on Saturday (2:45 p.m. / ZDF and Eurosport).

Just like Rees.

Born in Freiburg, he still wants to improve before the World Championships in Thuringia (February 8th to 19th).

"It's important for us as a German team to be competitive, at least in the areas where we have a connection with Sweden and France, and to have them under control when in doubt," said Rees.

But the Norwegians are all in excellent form and are traveling to Germany as the big favorites for the season's highlight.

It's also down to the team behind the team.

"We had very good material, but the Norwegians had a little better stuff," Doll had to admit.

With plus temperatures and bright sunshine, the other Germans were disappointing at 1300 meters: Philipp Horn was 29th, Justus Strelow 41st and Johannes Kühn ended up in 44th place. David Zobel in 74th even missed qualifying for the hunting race.

On Saturday (11.30 a.m. / ZDF and Eurosport) individual Olympic champion Denise Herrmann-Wick wants to attack again.

The 34-year-old starts sixth in the cross-country ski run and is only 36 seconds behind sprint winner Elvira Öberg from Sweden.

At the end of the World Cup, the mixed competitions will take place on Sunday.