Julia Kink

Julia Kink (born 26 January 2004) is a German biathlete. She won multiple medals at youth and junior world championships in 2023 and 2024, respectively. She is a four-time youth and junior world champion and won a race in the IBU Cup in 2024.

Career
Kink made her international debut in March 2022 at the Youth Olympic Festival in Vuokatti. She performed very successfully at the 2023 Youth World Championships in Shchuchinsk: she won the individual, and she was also able to win the women's relay alongside Lea Zimmermann and Julia Tannheimer by a large margin. In the sprint and pursuit, she took silver behind Tannheimer.

In the opening of the 2023/24 season, Kink made her debut in the IBU Cup and immediately left a strong impression. In Kontiolahti, she secured a fifth-place finish in the sprint, and in Idre and Sjusjøen, she consistently earned spots within the top ten. The turning point came in Martell, where she clinched her first IBU Cup victory by winning the shortened individual competition. Her triumph included an eight-tenths of a second lead over teammate Emily Schumann. Despite facing challenges in subsequent races and the European Championships due to subpar shooting, Kink rebounded at the Junior World Championships in Otepää in early March 2024. Displaying improved marksmanship, she secured gold in both the mass start and relay events. This stellar performance earned her a nomination for the World Cup, and she debuted in Soldier Hollow with a 42nd-place finish in the sprint. In the Soldier Hollow stage held in Utah, USA, Kink was a last-minute replacement for Sophia Schneider as the anchor in the German relay. In her debut World Cup relay, she engaged in a fierce battle for victory against Tandrevold. While slightly slower at the shooting range, matching the Norwegian with just one penalty, she secured a commendable second place for the German team in the race, finishing seventeen seconds behind Norway. The following day, Kink went on to claim the 38th position in the pursuit, earning her first World Cup points.

Biathlon results
All results are sourced from the International Biathlon Union.

Youth and Junior World Championships
7 medals (4 gold, 3 silver)