Unsightly scenes at the Biathlon World Cup in Annecy: When Franziska Preuß was in pursuit of the last standing stage, the French fans started loud chants. There was then clear criticism for this – from the French superstars.
Loud chants of “Allez les Bleus” echoed through the biathlon stadium in Annecy on Saturday afternoon. Not only before the start or while the stars were on the trail, but also at the moment when Franziska Preuß was completing her last standing attempt and Julia Simon and Jeanne Richard were approaching from behind.
However, the French fans’ obvious attempt at distraction went wrong. Despite the loud shouts, Preuss stayed cool, put all five shots on target and secured victory. The fact that she had to fight against the spectators particularly annoyed those who were being shouted at: the French biathletes.
“Fan problems” are not uncommon in France
“I’m not proud of it and I don’t like it when things like that happen. […] I think it’s unsportsmanlike,” Lou Jeanmonnot, among others, criticized the shouts of her own fans in the “NRK” interview. The Frenchwoman believes: The attempt at distraction actually made Preuß “even better” on the mat in the end.
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet also took a clear stance against her own supporters and said: “I’m not a fan of it.” There’s little she can do about it herself, “but I’m very happy for Preuß. We always have to keep fair play in mind.”
The fact that French fans often present themselves in a particularly “patriotic” manner is also well known from other sports. At the French Open, for example, there are discussions year after year about their behavior in matches with French participation.
Preuß takes note of the incident calmly
“That’s what it’s like when you run in France. It’s a bit annoying, but that’s what happens when you have a dedicated audience like here. When you there [auf der Matte] “You’re in your own bubble and you don’t even think about it,” said Swede Elvira Öberg about the incident.
And Preuss himself? In the end she took the whole situation rather calmly. “I thought they could be a little quieter. […] I took it as a challenge and tried to concentrate on myself and the targets. It [die Rufe] sharpened my senses a bit and that worked well,” said the German, who further extended her lead in the overall World Cup standings with the victory.