World Cup in Östersund - Preuß second in biathlon pursuit - Voigt third
Biathlete Franziska Preuß narrowly missed out on her second World Cup victory at the end of the World Cup in Östersund, but still took the sole lead in the overall World Cup.
The 29-year-old only had to admit defeat to France's Lou Jeanmonnot by 0.3 seconds in the final sprint in the pursuit, but celebrated her second podium finish of the still young World Cup winter with second place, underlining her sensational comeback. The next top result was completed by Vanessa Voigt in third place, which was also her second podium after third place in the individual.
After third place in the relay and the successes of Preuß (2nd) and Vanessa Voigt (3rd) in the sprint, this was the fifth podium finish for the DSV women. The last time the German skiers were this successful was at the season opener 15 years ago, when they also took five podium places in Östersund.
Preuß now alone in the yellow jersey
"I fought until the end, it's a shame that it wasn't quite enough. But there are still a few races to go," said Preuß on ZDF. The 29-year-old, who had already missed out on victory by just 0.1 seconds in the opening individual, had to run a penalty loop, while sprint winner Jeanmonnot remained penalty-free. Preuß started the final lap 6.8 seconds behind Jeanmonnot after the last shooting. There she quickly caught up and passed her. But the Frenchwoman caught up again and again in the downhill sections, came out of Preuß' slipstream shortly before the home straight and narrowly prevailed. Before the chase race, Preuß and Norway's Karoline Offigstad Knotten had started together in yellow for the first time in the women's race. However, Knotten only finished 15th.
The 26-year-old Voigt was 18.5 seconds behind the winner after the ten kilometers. She was even in the lead at the last shooting stage, but then had to go into the penalty loop once. Like Preuß in the days of Östersund, she also performed strongly.
Janina Hettich-Walz finished 13th, youngster Selina Grotian 21st and Sophia Schneider 35th, while Hanna Kebinger was spared due to slight symptoms of an infection.
Read also:
- Despite missing out on a second World Cup victory in Östersund by a narrow margin, German biathlete Franziska Preuß secured the lead in the overall World Cup.
- Lou Jeanmonnot of France claimed victory in the biathlon pursuit at Östersund, narrowly outpacing Preuß in the final sprint by 0.3 seconds.
- Vanessa Voigt, another German biathlete, completed the top three in the pursuit, marking her second podium finish of the young World Cup winter.
- Preuß and Voigt's podium finishes in Östersund were part of the DSV women's five podium finishes at the season opener 15 years ago.
- In the chase race following the World Cup in Östersund, Sweden's biathlon team did not repeat their past successes, with the closest placement being 15th by Karoline Offigstad Knotten.
- International biathlon competitions, like the World Cup in Östersund, showcase the talent of athletes such as Preuß, Voigt, and many others, often leading to thrilling victories and tough competition across the World Cup circuit.
Source: www.stern.de
