World Cup in Slovenia: Biathlete Preuss close to the overall victory: Third on the Pokljuka

Franziska Preuss should not distract the many thoughts of their first overall World Cup victory in the gripping biathlon season sprint from their big dream. “It is a challenge, but that will continue to start at the start of the mass,” said the 31-year-old after her third place in the shortened individual on the Pokljuka.

Thanks to her eleventh World Cup podium of the winter, the Bavarian increased her lead over the French Lou JeanMonnot to 60 points and is close to it to crown her season with the large crystal ball since Laura Dahlmeier in 2017.

“I am very relieved that it worked again today,” said Preuss two days after her birthday. She hit all 20 shots and laid the foundation for her first podium in Slovenia. “It was important to get through today, I was rather difficult on the route, I really went out of the grains at the back,” said Preuss: “And then it was really a fight.”

“We are fighting for every point”

After 12.5 kilometers with 46.2 seconds behind, Prussia only had to give up the also flawless winner Julia Simon from France and the Swede Hanna Öberg (1 error/+ 39.1 seconds). The persecution world champion expanded her cushion to the seventh -placed Jean Monnot. “I can do nothing other than deliver good races. We are fighting here for every point,” said 26-year-old JeanMonnot to ZDF: “This race for the big crystal ball has always been a big dream of mine. Now I fall back a few points behind Franziska.”

With only four outstanding individual competitions until the end of the season on Sunday in a week in Oslo, the chances of Preuss on overall victory. She has been wearing the yellow jersey since December 13th and will cover the next time on Saturday (1:35 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport), then the victory in the mass start. In the coming week, three competitions will follow at the Holmenkollen in Norway.

“She will be ahead, I’ll be ahead. I will be told that every race is somehow a fight,” said Preuss, who knows: “You can’t give anything and then we will see in Oslo.” Victories are particularly valuable and bring 90 World Cup points, the second receives 75, the third only 65 points. There could therefore be a really bitter mistake right now.

Just don’t think of the pink elephants

“When I am at the start and in the race, I don’t think about it,” said Preuss to the intermediate score, she does not expect herself. “I listen to this several times every day. Everyone always says, don’t think about it. But that’s a bit like thinking of a pink elephant,” said Preuss.

The four -time medalist of the Lenzerheide World Cup showed a highly concentrated performance at the plateau. Four times, Preuss left the shooting range without a mistake, in the cross -country ski -soaked trail, but she didn’t want to know anything about the intermediate stand, instead concentrated all of her. “I don’t need the first four rounds at all. If I shoot zero mistakes, I know for myself that I am good at that,” said Preuss: “It is just easier for me to stay with me. In the final round it is better to know where you are.”

Grotian thought that it would not be started at all

In the past few days, a lot of precipitation and too high temperatures had added to the trails. Racing director Borut Nunar spoke of “serious damage” on the route, but on Thursday night there was new snow. As a precaution, the schedule was changed significantly and the races originally planned as a normal single were shortened in order to prepare the fewer route kilometers.

“I assumed that the race will not take place,” said Selina Grotian, who was the second best German with three shooting errors 15. But despite the rain, it started, but on Friday there will be a day off to protect the route briefly. Johanna Puff (26th), Sophia Schneider (44.), Julia Tannheimer (71.) and Marlene Fichtner (73.) had nothing to do with the outcome of the race.