0.2 seconds decidedly about the day victory – and you could decide on the overall victory. This is how low was Franziska Preuß’s lead at the biathlon sprint in Oslo in front of her yellow competitor Lou JeanMonnot on Friday (March 21, 2025).
With the outcome of the first of the three individual races on the Holmenkollen it is already clear that Preuss will achieve its best placement in the overall classification in her career. In 2021, the 31-year-old ranked third, now the second place is no longer to be taken. Now the question is whether it will even be the big crystal ball after the persecution on Saturday and the mass start on Sunday, the last race of the season.
Prussia is already gaining red jersey in lying shooting
The small crystal ball in the sprint secured Prussia. The DSV athlete had to present against her French opponents, Lou JeanMonnot went on the route, justine Braisaz-Bochet in the fight for yellow, who wanted to take the red sprint jersey, followed up a little later. Preuss started flawlessly, JeanMonnot followed up just as confidently, but was 4.4 seconds behind after the first shooting.
Braisaz-Bouchet then failed three times and said goodbye early on the race for the day’s victory and the overall victory in the sprint classification. Prussia could hardly be taken at that moment. With an impressive series without errors, she underpinned this and immediately increased her chances of becoming the sixth overall World Cup winner from Germany.
JeanMonnot comes close to the victory on the final round
Martina Glagow, Kati Wilhelm, Andrea Henkel, Magdalena Neuner and Laura Dahlmeier have so far managed to become the best biathlete of a winter – but JeanMonnot made it extremely difficult again. The French woman also remained error -free again, she went into the last round with 5.5 seconds behind Prussia. And JeanMonnot managed to get her competitor.
Preuss fought his way to finish, once again ran an outstanding race and there was no doubt about her twelfth podium of the season, but she had to hope that she would not be intercepted by JeanMonnot. And that did not make the French woman in a highly dramatic way, Prussia remained an incredible 0.2 seconds – and the gold value in terms of the overall rating were gold.
JeanMonnot can “not wait” persecution
“I gave everything, but I had a few problems with the balance, so I’m not entirely happy. This little gap is important because it makes up many points”said the hit in the Sportschau interview. “I was absolutely polished for attack and I am satisfied. I can’t wait to start again tomorrow.”
In the end, Preuss celebrated her fourth individual success this season in front of JeanMonnot – and she expanded her lead in the fight for the yellow jersey to 35 points. In addition, the fact that the two will go on the track almost simultaneously in the persecution on the day after the tenth of a second.
“It was a situation where you are really happy when it is over”said Preuss in the sports show interview. “I have tackled it as at the World Cup – hop or top. I am very relieved that it worked. I tried to enjoy it at the start, maybe walk in yellow for the last time – but I realized that today.”
No other Germans in the top 20
The other German starters did not manage to secure a good starting situation for 12.5 kilometers on Saturday. After Preuss, Sophia Schneider was the second best DSV athlete (+1: 21.8 minutes/1 shooting error), Julia Tannheimer followed as 31st (+1: 29.0/1) and Johanna Puff as 36. (+1: 31.7/1). Anna Weidel took the 40th place (+1: 39.5/1) and for Selina Grotian it was only enough for 50th place due to a fall (+2: 11.2/1).