The German biathletes travel with a better medal balance from the World Cup a year ago. Success is particularly thanks to the strong Franziska Preuss. With a view of the Olympics, sports director Felix Bitterling raises alarm – especially among men, the youngsters are missing.
Franziska Preuss would have really wished for a nice farewell for her last World Cup race in Lenzerheide. Instead, the best German biathlete experienced “just a spice”. At the final start of the mass on Sunday (February 23, 2025), the 30-year-old, which was so successful this season, had to be satisfied with seventh place. Abdominal pain in the first part of the race and rather slow ski spoiled the best Germans another podium for the World Cup final.
Preuss: “Many beautiful moments”
Nevertheless, the World Cup leader travels back to Ruhpolding with four medals from Switzerland. And that’s why Preuss is also with “Many beautiful moments” Think back of Lenzerheide. “If someone had been told me beforehand that I would go home with four medals and two individual medals, I would have taken that immediately”Preuss beamed in the sports show with a view to the past ten days in Graubünden. Because: “My goal was to win a single medal. I now drive with silver and gold and two bronze medals.”
Prussia: 66 hits at 70 shots
Four medals, in addition to Prussia, only managed four times the world champion Julia Simon from France. “I definitely take a lot of positive things”said Preuss. For example, that it can also deliver at the shooting range at the World Cup: in four individual races with a total of 14 shoots, i.e. 70 shots, Preuss only had four mistakes.
Outstanding her flawless shooting in the persecution when she ran to the World Cup title with a big lead and was happy afterwards: “I’m just happy. I have to fight so much on the last round so often. And that I can be in front so often today that I can experience it once is megacool. I won’t forget that quickly.”
Sports director Bitterling: “Ordinary World Cup”
The German team won five medals in Switzerland. These are two medals and one World Cup title more than a year ago in the Czech Nove Mesto. That is why Felix Bitterling, sports director of the German biathletes, also draws a positive conclusion: “All in all, we saw a decent World Cup. We won five medals. There were not insanely many nations in this area. On the other hand, we were able to significantly increase our number of medals from Nove Mesto.”
Preuss involved in four out of five medals
Thanks to Franziska Preuss, you want to add. Preuss had their share in four of the five German medals-in the chasing gold, sprint silver in the individual races as well as two bronze medals in the mixed relay and the single mixed relay. Only with the surprise bronze in the men’s relay was Preuss at the start.
Bitterling: “Women delivered”
Bitterling has to differentiate in his balance sheet. “If you look at the two genders, the trend continues”according to the Bavarian. “The women do their job very well. Even if everything doesn’t work every day. They delivered absolutely.” Bayer points out that with Vanessa Voigt and Janina Hettich-Walz, two earlier World Cup medalists were missing for health reasons and due to pregnancy.
In men “take a closer look”
And with men? “You have to take a closer look”says Bitterling: “There are some positive things, as with the mixed seasons, where the men were 50 percent involved. And of course the highlight in the relay.”
On Saturday, the DSV men ran to a surprising bronze medal, which was also won thanks to a functioning tactic. Instead of with the high -speed start runner Justus Strelow, the season started with the better Philipp Nawrath, who at the shooting range, the quartet brought the quartet to bronze without penalty. The tears ran at the finish line. And Kühn said relieved: “This is my first medal. I have been with every major event since 2018. This is my last World Cup and I will get a medal in my last race. It’s nice.”
Bitterling: “Drei-Klassen-Gesellschaft” among men
Bitterling and Co. also tactically wise at the Mixed relay when Justus Strelow, which was outstanding at the shooting range, saved bronze with two error-free series. Such days needed it so that the men were also allowed to drive home with medals. Because, says Bitterling: “All in all, if you take a closer look at the men, the distances are significant.” Bitterling even saw in the season “A three-class society where we won the third grade.” The victorious Norwegians and the second -placed Frenchman are currently not coming.
Men: Too many shooting errors
All individual titles for men went to Norway or France, the top 7 most successful athletes in Lenzerheide are dominated by both nations before the US best World Cup participant Campbell Wright comes from the USA. “All in all and conceptually, it gives us thinking”says Bitterling.
While the women led by Preuss at the World Cup in individual races made it six times into the top 10, only one top 10 placement was achieved with men: Philipp Horn was seventh in the singles. The problems of the World Cup continued at the World Cup: None of the Germans came through the individual competitions without shot. Three races with 40 shooting errors are too much to have a say in the fight for the podium.
Bitterling: “That gives me thinking”
And while the only 19-year-old Julia Tannheimer was able to celebrate the first World Cup respectively and the 20-year-old Selina Grotian already made her first World Cup victory, the German men are not talented as a future hope.
World Cup debutant Danilo Riethmüller has been 25 years old, the two-time bronze winner Justus Strelow already 28. “In particular, this gives me this with the short time until the Olympic Games”explains Bitterling. “We have more potential, but we just don’t get it on the street. It has been going through like a thread for some time.”
Prussia: First snack, then World Cup victory
Winter Olympia begins in Milan in less than a year. The largest German medal hope could also be Franziska Preuss. The Olympic third with season 2022 does not yet want to think about that. After all, she still has goals this winter: “I have the dream of defending the yellow jersey until the end. I definitely have that in my head and is also very presentsays the World Cup leader.
At a very short distance, however, the wishes are a little easier: after the difficult World Cup weeks, Preuss is now looking forward to “A good snack at home“With the family.