Erik Hänel was a sports soldier in the German Armed Forces , lived in Oberwiesenthal and started for the WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal . The student of human medicine at the University of Leipzig made his international debut in 2002 as part of the Continental Cup race. In 2003 he competed at the Junior World Championship in Sollefteå in the sprint (14th). The following year he was only 22nd at the 2004 Junior World Championships in Stryn - but silver medalist with the relay. In December 2004, Hänel was used for the first time in a World Cup sprint in Bern (53rd). In the team sprint that followed, he finished tenth and thus placed in the top ten in the World Cup for the first time. In the following years he was used sporadically in the World Cup sprint, but mostly he competed in Continental Cups, FIS races and other lower-class events. In 2006 in Andermatt and in 2007 in Haanja he took part in the military world championships and finished 38th and 39th over 15 kilometers. Only in the 2006/07 season he was able to win points in individual races in the World Cup. With 22 points, he finished 50th in the sprint and 104th place in the overall World Cup. He won the points as 12th in a freestyle sprint in Düsseldorf . Hänel had its last World Cup start in December 2009, also in Düsseldorf. Most recently, he was the victory in the pursuit race of the 2011 Rollski -Weltcup in Markkleeberg secure. He made his last international appearance at the Engadin Skimarathon on March 9, 2014, when he finished 84th.
His brother Lars Hänel was also a member of the German national team.
Germany
