Biathlon World Championships: Preuß Misses Out on a Further Medal in the Mass Start

At the final day of the Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide, Franziska Preuß came agonizingly close to adding a fifth medal to her collection. After an almost error‐free performance at the shooting range, her physical strength gave out in the final round – a single mistake cost her dearly as she finished 36.1 seconds behind the leader.

The 12.5-kilometer mass start held on Sunday (23.02.2025) saw Swedish athlete Elvira Öberg secure the gold medal with only two shooting errors. French biathlete Oceane Michelon, with three misses, took silver finishing 9.4 seconds behind, while Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide claimed an unexpected bronze, 16.5 seconds adrift.

Reflecting on the race, Preuß admitted that things did not go as planned. “It was extremely difficult. My skis were not gliding as they should and it cost me a lot of muscle effort,” she explained in a post-race interview with Sportschau. Up until the final shooting, she was well-placed for a medal; however, that one decisive error on her last shooting stage proved too costly, and she was unable to catch up on the course.

Despite the disappointment, Preuß looked back on the championship with pride. Earlier in the tournament, she had already achieved a remarkable haul including gold in the pursuit, silver in the sprint, and two bronze medals from the mixed relay events. “If someone had told me I’d leave with four medals, I would have taken it without hesitation,” she said with a smile, adding that the experience proved she could perform on the highest podium even at her toughest moments.

Other competitors also struggled with their shooting: Julia Tannheimer ended up in 15th place after three errors, while Selina Grotian and Sophia Schneider each recorded six mistakes and finished with a loss of nearly three minutes. Swedish Hanna Öberg, suffering from nine misses, finished last – almost six minutes behind her victorious teammate.

Preuß, who had hoped to overcome years of physical setbacks including early round struggles and abdominal pain, described the experience as a “stranglehold” that robbed her of the medal she felt she deserved. It was clear that on this day, only near-perfect shooting would have kept her in contention for a medal in the mass start.

Ultimately, the race will be remembered for its dramatic turns and the fine margins that separate medaling from missing out. Preuß’s performance, though disappointing in the final standings, adds to a highly successful championship campaign overall.