Josef Niedermeier was one of the most successful German biathletes of the 1970s. In 1972 and 1976 he took part in the Winter Olympics. In 1972 he finished 46th in the singles in Sapporo , four years later he was 26th in Innsbruck over the same distance. His most successful biathlon world championships were held in 1975 in Antholz , where he finished fifth in both the individual and sprint. Prior to that, he was sixth in the individual in Minsk in 1974 .
Between 1970 and 1972, Niedermeier won the title of German champion over 20 kilometers three times in a row, something no other biathlete has achieved since then. It was also the first German championship title awarded in the biathlon. In 1975 he won the sprint title. After his active career, Niedermeier was the coach of the Swiss national biathlon team. After his time in biathlon, the Bavarian turned to dog sledding and was a six-time European champion in this sport. He took the Olympic oath at the 2003 World Championships.
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