Franziska Preuß’s Reign Ends in Individual Biathlon, Julia Simon Claims Gold
Former champion Franziska Preuß faced a setback in the women’s individual biathlon event at the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The German athlete, who secured a thrilling gold in the pursuit race, missed the podium this time, finishing outside the medals in tenth place.
Preuß, who excelled in the pursuit race by hitting all 20 targets, encountered difficulties in the individual event, resulting in two costly misses. "I lacked concentration and composure," Preuß admitted. "Two mistakes can happen quickly under those circumstances. But it’s not a catastrophe."
While the setback in the individual race may have been disappointing, Preuß can take solace in her impressive performances in the three preceding races. She has already secured a complete set of medals, including her first individual World Championship title in the mixed relay.
The victor of the individual event was French biathlete Julia Simon, who claimed the second gold of her campaign after triumphing in the mixed relay. Silver went to Sweden’s Ella Halvarsson, while Simon’s compatriot Lou Jeanmonnot secured bronze.
"Franziska is not a machine. She has had a fantastic race before, and we must remember that the World Championship title can be very demanding in terms of energy," explained ZDF expert Denise Herrmann-Wick, who won the individual at the Beijing Olympics.
Johanna Puff, making her World Championship debut, was the only German athlete to shoot clean, placing 22nd. Julia Tannheimer’s four misses resulted in a 33rd place finish, while Selina Grotian’s five penalty minutes relegated her to 46th. Tannheimer was visibly emotional after the race, her legs buckling during her final shooting attempt due to the infamous "sewing machine" phenomenon.
Preuß, who had been operating like clockwork on the shooting range, missed two targets in the last shooting stage. "I could hear the stadium announcer, and that’s usually not a good sign. I was unable to stay focused and deviated from my plan," Preuß said.
Despite her disappointment, Preuß still has opportunities to add to her medal tally in the remaining events, including the single-mixed relay, the relay, and the mass start. The German men, who have yet to impress at these Championships, will have an uphill battle to challenge for medals in the men’s individual event on Wednesday. Norway’s record-breaking world champion, Johannes Thingnes Bø, will be heavily favored to secure his third gold in the Swiss Alps.
