Franziska Preuß should lead the relay at the Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto with her experience. Now the German star is spontaneously canceled.
The German biathletes have to cope with a shock shortly before the World Cup relay. Franziska Preuß, who was actually scheduled to be the final runner, was canceled at short notice due to a sore throat; instead, Sophia Schneider had to step in for the last section. Without the leader, the medal hopes over the 4×6 kilometers (1:45 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport) are very dampened.
In front of Schneider, the individual silver medalist Janina Hettich-Walz, 19-year-old Selina Grotian and Vanessa Voigt take to the track. “Unfortunately, Franziska Preuß cannot start due to a new sore throat,” said team doctor Dr. Jan Wüstenfeld: “We will use today to ensure the best possible regeneration, also to maintain a small chance of starting the mass start.”
Last year the women’s relay team won silver in Oberhof, and this World Cup winter they achieved two third and two fifth places. Preuß has often been set back by health problems in her career; last year she even had to stop the season completely before the home World Cup in Oberhof. The final mass start will take place on Sunday (2:15 p.m.).