Biathlon superstar Franziska Preuß has left her future open. The 31-year-old is currently not thinking about a possible end to her career after the upcoming Olympic season.
“I’ll leave that open. Until February my entire focus will be on sport. There’s little time for other thoughts,” said Preuß in an interview with “Sport Bild”.
The overall World Cup winner is currently concentrating on the upcoming season, which starts this weekend with the World Cup in Östersund.
Because of last season’s success, their “basic confidence in their ability to perform” is greater. “And I don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore, especially not to myself. That gives me a certain calmness,” emphasized Preuß: “But I’m still totally obsessed with details and give 110 percent every day to get even better. Nothing has changed.”
Preuß described their current form as “very good”. She did lose a few weeks while shooting because of hand surgery. “But luckily I’ve already shot so much in my life that I can compensate for that,” emphasized the two-time world champion.
The running form is also good: “The treadmill tests were even better than in previous years.”
Olympic victory? “Career already completed”
The fact that an Olympic victory is still missing from her CV is not a big problem for Preuß.
“I already consider my career to be complete. I am completely happy with what I have achieved. Winning the overall World Cup was always the greatest thing for me because it reflects the achievements of the entire season. I have realized my biggest dream,” she clarified.
Nevertheless, Preuß described Olympic gold as the “icing on the cake” that would not top the big crystal ball.
“For me, the most important thing is to experience a beautiful Olympic Games. I’ve already been to three games and always had problems in the run-up to it. Hopefully things will be different this time,” said the 31-year-old, who remarked: “I’m hoping for a nice final chapter in my personal Olympic book.”