Crime thriller in the biathlon final
Fall drama for competitor: Preuss wins World Cup
Updated on March 23, 2025 – 2:18 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The decision in the overall World Cup between Franziska Preuß and Lou JeanMonnot only fell in the last race. Now the Germans were allowed to cheer.
Franziska Preuß has been the first German since Laura Dahlmeier secured victory in the overall biathlon World Cup. In the last race of the season, the mass launch in Oslo, Prusser remained at the final round in front of her competitor Lou JeanMonnot from France, won the race and thus secured victory in the overall ranking. Shortly before the end, she benefited from a fall of her competitor.
After the last shooting, Prussia and JeanMonnot started the final round exactly. When everything looked on the home straight after a final sprint, the French woman suddenly plunged when she drove around a curve with Prussia. The decision had been made. JeanMonnot had to be satisfied with third place behind the Swede Elvira Öberg. For Prussia it is the first overall World Cup victory of the career. Overall, it is the sixth German who succeeds in this feat.
After the race, the last doubts suddenly existed whether the victory would remain. Because the French took a protest against the evaluation. The aim was to investigate whether Preuss could have been to blame for JeanMonnot’s fall. After just a few minutes, however, the protest was withdrawn and Preuss’ triumph was certain.
In the last competition weekend of this long season, Preuss had a lead over Jean Monnot with only 20 points. After their victory in the sprint, but then only fifth in the persecution was Preuss, who was supported by part of her family on site, but was falling behind.
The large crystal ball is even above its first World Cup single gold, which was only won in February, because it distinguishes the consistency over a whole season. “This is really one of the greatest achievements that can be achieved,” said the persecution world champion, who had won three more medals in Lenzerheide.
Before Preuss, Martina Glagow (2002/03), Kati Wilhelm (2005/06), Andrea Henkel (2006/07), Magdalena Neuner (2007/08, 2009/10 and 2011/12) and Laura Dahlmeier (2016/17) won the overall World Cup. Prussia made it through its impressive shooting quota and the consistency of a total of 13 podium places in the 21 season races. JeanMonnot won significantly more often, but also showed more fluctuations.
Preuss’ next big goal will be the Winter Olympics in Antholz in the coming year, and there she also wants to fulfill her last sporting dream with gold. After that could be over. Then the Bavarian wants to start a family with her partner Simon Schempp, even world champion and Olympic medalist and fill her house in Ruhpolding with life.
For Prussia, this prestigious triumph is the icing on the cake of its turbulent career. In the past, she thought of a career end, but kept fighting back. For years, infections and illnesses threw them back again and again, they had to do without world championships and end it earlier. Only an operation of the sinuses last year after the end of the season brought the hoped -for improvement and was the door opener for the happy ending of an outstanding season.