Biathlon overall World Cup winner Franziska Preuß has retired at the Winter Olympics. Julia Tannheimer was not surprised by the end of her DSV teammate’s career – on the contrary.
“We basically knew it since last season,” revealed Tannheimer in an interview with “Sport1”.
The 20-year-old explained: “So it didn’t surprise us that it would happen like this. The only thing that was unclear was the timing – directly after the Olympics or after the entire season. She thought about this decision for a long time. As I perceived it, she was only really sure during the Olympic Games.”
Preuß officially announced the end of her biathlon career at the end of January. Before the final mass start at the Winter Olympics, the 31-year-old ultimately announced through the German Ski Association that she would be calling it quits immediately after the season highlight.
Preuß helped shape the German biathlon sport for many years, winning, among other things, two gold medals at world championships and the overall World Cup. At the Olympics in Italy she also won bronze in the mixed relay, but she was not granted an individual medal.
Biathlon colleague raves about Preuß
“When I had questions or needed her advice, she was always there. She shared her experiences with us, went jogging with us, took us along and showed us how many things work – on and off the track. Being able to learn from such a successful athlete is something special,” enthused Tannheimer about Preuß.
The long-standing top biathlete remained “incredibly down-to-earth. She is a completely normal person who does not stand out in any way and treats everyone in a friendly manner,” explained Tannheimer.
The Biathlon World Cup continues on Thursday in Kontiolahti, Finland. Janina Hettich-Walz, Vanessa Voigt, Selina Grotian, Marlene Fichtner and Tannheimer make up the five-member DSV women’s squad.
