"We must wake up": Clear Words to German Biathlon Team

"Wake up": Clear words to the biathletes

Franziska Preuß is pleased with her strong start, but the DSV men's team is already under pressure ahead of the sprint.

Franziska Preuß looked forward to the next days in a great mood after finishing fifth in the individual event, whereas alarm bells rang for the German men's biathlon team before the sprint in Kontiolahti.

"We need to wake up at the shooting range. We know what we are capable of; we have trained well, but now we need to start implementing it," DSV sports director Felix Bitterling stated clearly ahead of the 10 km race on Friday (starting at 16:20 CEST on LIVETICKER).

The disappointing results from Johannes Kühn, Philipp Nawrath, and others in the 15 km individual race had already alarmed the leaders at the German Ski Federation (DSV) early in the season. Bitterling mentioned that he had discussed this clearly with the athletes.

Best German in 22nd Place

Reparations are necessary as Nawrath could only finish as the best German in 22nd place on Tuesday, while Kühn ended up in 54th place.

Bundestrainer Uros Velepec was also harsh in his assessment of his team: "The running performance was not at the highest level. Compared to Norway and France, we are not competitive. If shooting also fails, we have a problem."

The DSV men were clearly not physically at their best. Many of his athletes reported feeling "tired," Velepec explained. Therefore, proper recovery before the sprint is crucial: "They need to rest; that is the key."

World Champion Returns After Illness

On the other hand, Preuß's feelings were quite different after her strong start in the individual event. She expressed that she was "happy" and "positively surprised." However, in the days leading up to this, she had once again struggled with an infection, missing the relay.

However, her immune system, which had often troubled her in the past, is now "better," emphasized the 30-year-old.

Therefore, Preuß hopes to handle the 12.5 km individual race well and prepare effectively for the upcoming competitions. For the women, the sprint over 7.5 km takes place on Saturday at 17:10 before the World Cup in Finland concludes on Sunday with mass starts at 14:30 and 17:10.