Franziska Preuß wrote history in a thrilling season finale: The 31-year-old Bavarian secured the overall World Cup in the biathlon for the first time-and that in a very dramatic way. At the final start of the mass in Oslo, the direct duel with her biggest competitor Lou JeanMonnot, which could hardly have been more exciting.
Before the race, the French woman was in the lead with a wafer -thin lead of five points. Both athletes delivered a gripping head-to-head race on the route. After the last shooting, they went to the final round almost at the same time – a real photo finish emerged. But then the moment that changed everything: JeanMonnot fell in one of the last corners, while Prussia came through and had the path free to the greatest success of her career.
Despite her triumph, Preuss initially reserved, comforted the visibly disappointed rival and showed size in an emotionally charged moment. A briefly submitted protest from the French team was withdrawn a little later – the title was officially.
The culmination of her season is the result of hard work and consistency: In addition to the World Cup victory, Preuss had already stood on the podium several times at the World Championships in Lenzerheide-with gold in the persecution, silver in sprint and two bronze medals in the seasons.
With the winning of the large crystal ball, Franziska Preuß is a ranks of German biathlon legends like Magdalena Neuner, Laura Dahlmeier or Kati Wilhelm. They brought their determination and their unshakable will there – and their fair appearance at the crucial moment makes her a worthy ambassador for sport.
She has clear plans for the future: The focus is already on the 2026 Olympics in Antholz – there she would finally like to sit down with a gold medal. After that, she shows through, a new chapter could begin away from sport – alongside her partner and former biathlete Simon Schempp.
With this success, Franziska Preuß not only took the lead to the top, but also conquered the hearts of the fans. The biathlon world has a new queen-and she bears the name Prussia.
(Tagstotranslate) Biathlon (T) Biathlon World Cup