Does the world champion Franziska Preuß continue her medal hunt at the biathlon World Cup? On Thursday (20.02.2025) she will start with Justus Strelow in the single mixed season. The German duo is the closest favorite group.
At the start of the World Cup in Switzerland, Preuss and Strelow were already part of the mixed relay, which had won bronze during the previous week. Preuss also already won gold in the persecution and silver in the sprint. It should be the first German biathlete in all possible seven World Cup races.
Strelow, on the other hand, had experienced two dampers in the individual competitions. In the sprint he was only 30th, in the persecution he landed a place behind. He had left the exhausting singles on Wednesday to save strength.
Sagittarius Strelow asked
In the single mixed relay, it will once again be about its qualities at the shooting range. The competition is extremely shooting due to the short circulation of 1.5 kilometers. Fast shooting and fast reloading are for the chance of a basic requirement for a medal – the races are usually very tight.
He was already able to prove that Strelow has the qualities for this in the mixed season when he shot his team with a furious performance as the final runner for the medal. Last season, he had also led a German single mixed relay to the World Cup victory together with Vanessa Voigt in Antholz for the first time.
Prussia wants the fourth medal
Prussia should also go into the race with a lot of motivation. After her furious start with a complete medal set, she last had to accept a small setback in singles when she was only tenth after two mistakes. But that is “no broken leg“, the 30-year-old emphasized:”There is nothing to mourn for a long time. There are still a few races and I have to tick that off. ”
Sports director Felix Bitterling also strengthened Prussia and Strelow in advance. “We have a bleak Franziska Preuss and a Justus Strelow who showed that he can mix this single. With him nobody likes to be at the shooting range. Therefore, this can be a combination that can really match. We go in extremely positively and have something going on.“However, the single mixed is”A brutally competitive competition“.
German season in the favorite group
Due to the gala form of Preuss and the shooting qualities of Strelow, Germany is the closest favorite area next to France and Norway. The German Ski Association is waiting for the first World Cup title in the not Olympic competition.
The single mixed has been part of the World Cup program since 2019. The only medal so far won Preuss 2020 in Antholz together with Erik Lesser. The duo secured silver behind Norway on the Olympic lines of 2026.