Franziska Preuß addressed her mistake in the mixed relay and her fifth place at the start of the World Cup in a personal conversation with the coaches the next day. The focus was mainly on one thing: checking everything and focusing exclusively on the sprint on Friday (5:20 p.m./ARD and Eurosport). The coaches reminded the ski hunter of her strengths. And the best German biathlete must now believe in this so as not to fall into a mental hole in the face of her next medal chances. “I have to look forward again and make good use of the training day and complete the race,” said the 29-year-old after the first race of the world title fight in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.
Preuß loses any chance of winning a medal in the mixed relay due to a penalty loop
The Bavarian won on Wednesday from a penalty France The possible first medal was given in mixed doubles with Justus Strelow, Philipp Nawrath and Vanessa Voigt. Preuß, who this season celebrated a strong comeback in the World Cup with three second places after the last difficult years of it, is considered the German contender for the precious metal in the highlights of the season. Good for the head: Preuß came second in the Oberhof sprint. In addition to her, Vanessa Voigt, Janina Hettich-Walz and Sophia Schneider competed in the first individual race of the World Cup.
But Preuß always takes negative experiences very seriously. “He was very disappointed in myself. He's always bothered me a little. It’s the emotional aspect that always comes into play,” said the 2015 world relay champion.
Sports director Felix Bitterling believes in the qualities of the third-place finisher in the 2020/2021 World Cup: “I'm not worried about Franzi. This year it is very solid.” The excellent starting running back Justus Strelow also believes in Preuß: “He has a lot of experience. “I’m sure she can do it.”
German biathletes are not among the favorites in Friday's sprint
For double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier, Preuß “makes a good impression, she has taken a good step forward.” She hoped that the first race would go well for Preuß. “Then she fits in. But if not, she can quickly get into trouble,” the seven-time world champion said of her former teammate, who was the first German to wear the yellow jersey since Dahlmeier in 2017, at the end of the inaugural World Cup in Östersund. .
Preuß & Co. are not among the favorites in the sprint. Voigt shot clean twice as a mixed finisher, but was not competitive on the course and did not have the best material in the difficult conditions. Hettich-Walz twice reached the top 6 in the shortest biathlon race, but after that it was no longer enough to achieve good results. Schneider has not been able to convince so far in the sprint either. Denise Herrmann-Wick, who has since retired, won gold in the sprint at her home World Championships last year.