Trial day as stadium announcer: pupil from Saxony is looking over the shoulder of Niclas Fuchs
At this Fridays men's sprint race of the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup 2025 in Oberhof, a special Christmas wish is coming true: Paul Ulland, a 16-year-old pupil from Saxony will be able to look over the shoulder of stadium announcer Niclas Fuchs and gain further experience on his way to becoming a sports journalist.
How is stadium announcer Niclas Fuchs preparing for the competitions? What is necessary to keep an overview? And what advice does he have for the next generation? These and many more questions can Paul Ulland ask on today’s Friday. In the men's sprint race he is able to accompany Niclas Fuchs - the voice in the ARENA am Rennsteig - to get a taste of his work and experience the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup 2025 in Oberhof from a special perspective.
‘When we were at the World Cup last year, he was already there as the stadium announcer. The fact that I can meet him and be right up close is still somehow unreal for me,’ says the teenager. The trial day was a special Christmas present. Paul's mother Yvonne contacted the organizing committee with a special request and surprised him with it on Christmas Eve. ‘I was speechless and couldn't get the grin off my face. My mother is known for surprises, but I wasn't expecting this,’ says the schoolboy, who traveled with a lot of anticipation but also a little excitement to Thuringia.
Winter sports fan since a young age
Biathlon elated him since a young age. ‘As a five-year-old, I used to reenact races and was at that athlete and commentator in one person,’ says the winter sports fan, who is active as a 400m hurdler himself. Paul Ulland currently attends the eleventh grade at the Städtisches Gymnasium in Mittweida. After graduating, he would like to become a sports journalist and study at the Cologne Sports University. ‘The number of places are small and the requirements are therefore extremely demanding,’ he says.
Another reason why he is already gaining important experiences. In the ninth grade, he completed a student internship with the Chemnitz Niners. At a game of Dynamo Dresden and at the award ceremony for the regional indoor athletics championships, he sat behind the microphone. And for his assignment in tenth grade on the development of jumping styles, he interviewed Jens Weißflog.
Niclas Fuchs came to his profession in a similar way. ‘Petra Kühn, who is involved in the supporting program at the World Cup, got me into moderating the ski jumping event in Brotterode. Adi Rückewold, who ensures a good atmosphere in the ARENA, invited me to do an internship at Antenne Thüringen. And Marco Rühl, the former stadium announcer in Oberhof, then got me into biathlon. So for me, the World Cup is also always a kind of family reunion,’ says the 24-year-old, who has been involved in the Biathlon World Cup since 2021. Following Marco Rühl's retirement after the BMW IBU Biathlon World Championships 2023 in Oberhof, he is on his own responsible for stadium moderation. Precisely because Niclas Fuchs knows how important it is to have good supporters at your side, he was happy to fulfill Paul Ulland's wish. ‘In 2018, I got to look behind the scenes of the Four Hills Tournament, which was very valuable. Therefore it was no question for me, that Paul should accompany me,’ says the man from Brotterode, who works as an editor and presenter at Antenne Thüringen and presents various sporting events.