Last year, the German women’s relay team created a celebratory atmosphere at the Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding. This time there were long faces – especially Franziska Preuß.
The overall World Cup winner from last season had to go into the penalty loop after the last shooting at her home game. The German quartet with Preuß, Vanessa Voigt, Julia Tannheimer and Janina Hettich-Walz only achieved sixth place (8 spares + 1 penalty) at the relay dress rehearsal for the Olympic Games. “Of course you are disappointed. I’m incredibly sorry“, Preuss later explained in the ZDF interview. “There was so much pressure in the last standing stage. That just wasn’t good and it has to be put aside now.”
Last year, Preuß won the relay in her home country. This time the gap to the victorious Norwegians (9+0) was more than a minute. Italy came in second (4+0/+0.9 seconds), having to admit defeat in a thrilling sprint to the finish. Sweden (7+0/+3.0) completed the podium. The highly rated French women around overall World Cup leader Lou Jeanmonnot only managed fourth place with their best team.
Strong start by Voigt and Tannheimer
Voigt, who had returned to the team as starting runner in place of Selina Grotian, who had recently been out of form, had already excelled at the shooting range in pursuit of Oberhof. In Ruhpolding, the Thuringian continued her performance seamlessly and cleared all the targets both lying down and standing. However, most of the competition also shot strongly, so that by the first change a larger chasing group had formed behind the leading French women.
Tannheimer was able to close the gap to the front by the third shooting – also because the German equipment obviously worked well that day. And even at the shooting range, the 20-year-old hardly showed any nerves, followed up a recumbent shot while lying down with a spotless standing shot and temporarily put her team in the lead. “I’m very satisfied. We had great skis today, so I was able to make up a lot of time“, was Tannheimer’s conclusion, who presented herself extremely well, especially in terms of running, and had meanwhile gained 16 seconds on the track.
Hettich-Walz has to tremble, Preuß into the penalty loop
The field was still close together after half the race. Only eight seconds separated the first seven teams. As the third German runner in the prone position, Hettich-Walz also needed an additional cartridge, but she kept the gap to France and Sweden at the top within limits. But then mistakes crept in and she was just able to avoid the penalty loop in the standing position, but lost a few seconds. “That was a few spares too many, but the deficit is still okay” said Hettich-Walz afterwards, after giving final runner Preuss a ten-second gap to the podium places.
She had proven many times in the past that Preuß actually feels right at home in her homeland. And this time too, things went smoothly at the shooting range. After a flawless performance while lying down, Preuss moved up a few places and had every chance of getting on the podium and possibly even winning the day before the final standing test. But then her nerves gave out. Preuß had to go into the penalty loop and fell far behind. Instead, others made the victory. Italy was ahead until shortly before the end, before Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide crowned her rapid comeback and intercepted Lisa Vittozzi on the home straight.
Preuß: “Reloaders feel like opponents”
When Preuß crossed the finish line a good minute later, disappointment was written all over her face. That is “a day to forget“, said the most experienced biathlete in the German team angrily. Her mistakes in the standing position in particular are giving food for thought exactly five weeks before the women’s relay race at the Olympic Games.
“I wanted to accept the situation and stay cool. But I’m a bit powerless right now, within seconds I have a tonus in my legs and I can’t get it out“, Preuss tried to explain the situation: “The reloaders feel like an enemy to me.” She now wants to find a solution quickly, “that I can get it out of my head and find inner peace again when shooting standing up“. She will have the chance to do this on Friday (2.30 p.m. in the live ticker) when the women’s sprint continues in Ruhpolding.
