Thursday, December 16, 2021
Worst result of the season
Biathlete Preuss is very missing after falling down the stairs
Anyway, the injury is not serious – nevertheless the sprain in the left foot comes at an inopportune time for Franziska Preuss. Preparations for the Winter Olympics are underway and she is the bearer of hope in the German team. That is astonishingly clear in their absence.
The fatal faux pas happened to Franziska Preuss a few hours before the start. In the team hotel of the German biathletes in the idyllic Le Grand-Bornand, the hopefuls of the German biathletes slipped on a staircase – and suffered a severe sprain in her left foot. According to the ultrasound examination, it is “not a serious injury” and the absence in the sprint is “a precautionary measure,” said team doctor Klaus Marquardt. The hope of competing in the mass start at the last World Cup of the year in France on Sunday is alive.
Nevertheless: For Preuss it is a serious setback in preparation for the Olympics. Exactly 50 days before the Winter Games in Beijing (February 4th to 20th), the German hopeful has to grapple with an injury, a few days before the Christmas break, pay more attention to her health.
“Today was a difficult day for us,” said Bernd Eisenbichler, sports director of the biathletes. Preuss was “badly missing” in such a race. The worst race of the season for the German female ski hunters in the sprint over 7.5 kilometers took a back seat. Denise Herrmann landed as the best athlete of the German Ski Association (DSV) in the victory of the faultless Norwegian Marte Olsbu Röiseland in 14th place, the rest missed the top 25.
The 32-year-old was in great shape on the cross-country ski run with the second-best running time, only the shooting range is still lacking. “If you miss the first shot, then you come under pressure. That doesn’t make it any easier,” said Herrmann on ZDF. “Started badly, ended badly.” The last shot also missed, but she wasn’t really worried about the Olympics in February. “We are still in December,” emphasized Herrmann. “She is on the right track, what a shame about the last shot,” said Eisenbichler courageously.