Biathlon: first world title for Franziska Preuss, crowned in the pursuit
On Friday afternoon, after her triumph in the sprint at the biathlon world championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), we wondered whether the owners of the Swiss stadium were going to rename the Roland Arena the Justine Braisaz-Bouchet Arena. Winner of the four races contested on site between the World Cup in December 2023 and the start of the 2025 World Championships, the Beaufortaine from Les Saisies (Savoie) seemed unbeatable in the canton of Graubünden.
This Sunday lunchtime, she went to the start of the pursuit with bib number 1 reserved for the winner of the sprint. In this position, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet has only won once. It was, as luck would have it, in Lenzerheide just over a year ago. This time, however, she was unable to repeat the feat because Germany’s Franziska Preuss was on a mission.
Franziska Preuss was on a mission
Never before crowned individual world champion, the 30-year-old German pulled out all the stops to claim her Grail. With perfect race management on cross-country skis and an impeccable 20/20 shot, Franziska Preuss effectively eliminated her opponents one after the other. In the last run on the mats, alone, she achieved a 5/5 score that every biathlon school should be proud of, so that she could then enjoy her time on the track.
Behind, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (17/20) was beaten for the first time in her career in Lenzerheide, but the Frenchwoman was fighting with Elvira Oeberg (19/20) for a medal. Rising from tenth place, the Swede managed to gain the upper hand in the final hectometres to clinch silver.
The Frenchwoman had to be content with bronze, her second in two races this week in Switzerland. It was also her sixth individual podium at the World Championships, and her eleventh including the relays.
Lou Jeanmonnot fourth, Julia Simon stripped of her throne
In fourth place was Lou Jeanmonnot (18/20), who was guilty of one mistake too many on the firing point to reach the podium. Lena Haecki-Gross (16/20), who had thrilled her public until the last shot when she missed three targets, took fifth place, while Suvi Minkkinen (18/20) rounded off the flower ceremony in sixth place.
Anna Magnusson (17/20), Michela Carrara (15/20), Ella Halvarsson (16/20) and Selina Grotian (17/20) all finished in the top 10. The race was more difficult for the other Frenchwomen, with Julia Simon (14/20), the two-time defending champion, in twelfth place ,Océane Michelon (16/20) in thirteenth and Jeanne Richard (15/20) in thirty-fourth.
𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑹𝑻𝑬 𝑴𝑬́𝑫𝑨𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑬!!! 🚨🇫🇷
After a world champion title in the sprint, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet stays on the box and takes bronze 🥉 in the pursuit at the Lenzerheide Worlds. 🇨🇭🔥
4️⃣médailles for our Blues before the pursuit… pic.twitter.com/J71BC0fDCh– FFS – Fédération Française de Ski (@FedFranceSki) February 16, 2025
Full results
- Brazil’s Gaia Brunello, who qualified for the World Championships in Lenzerheide, tells Nordic Magazine: “I feel a sense of pride”.
- “When I saw Lucas Pinheiro Braathen’s exploits, I felt incredibly motivated”: why did Italian Gaia Brunello decide to become a Brazilian sportswoman?
- The full programme for the World Championships in Lenzerheide, the highlight of the 2024/2025 season
- Léna Arnaud: my best memory of… Lenzerheide
- Swiss biathlete Arnaud Du Pasquier presents the Roland Arena, the Lenzerheide stadium used for the 2025 World Championships
- Delphyne Burlet on the challenges of the Lenzerheide world championships
- “We decided to follow the sporting logic”: Stéphane Bouthiaux explains how the French mixed relay team for the World Championships in Lenzerheide was put together.
- Quentin Fillon-Maillet annoyed at being sidelined in the mixed relay at the world championships in Lenzerheide: “I thought I deserved more consideration from the staff”.
- Lenzerheide: France, with Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot, Eric Perrot and Emilien Jacquelin, retain their world mixed relay title
- “We couldn’t have got off to a better start than this”: the perfect start for the French team, which won gold in the mixed relay at the world championships in Lenzerheide.
- “I don’t feel like I made a mistake”: Julia Simon recounts her collision with Sweden’s Anna Magnusson during the mixed relay in Lenzerheide
- Julia Simon and Sebastian Samuelsson crashed, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Hanna Oeberg failed to shoot: an opening mixed relay full of twists and turns in Lenzerheide
- “It was fun”: during the mixed relay at the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Britain’s Shawna Pendry was surprised to ski with her idol Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold.
- Dorothea Wierer supports Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold after the Norwegian was insulted on social networks
- Lenzerheide: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet’s day of glory, crowned world sprint champion ahead of Franziska Preuss and Suvi Minkkinen
- “The wheel turns”: how Justine Braisaz-Bouchet became world sprint champion in Lenzerheide after a difficult January
- Lenzerheide: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet’s photo album with her gold medal in the sprint at the World Championships
- “Ten years on, Franziska Preuss has won her second individual world medal in the sprint at Lenzerheide.
- “She really believed in her chances”: in the Lenzerheide sprint, Suvi Minkkinen became the third Finn to win a world medal
- “I’m a fighter, I won’t give up”: assures Lena Haecki-Gross, who came very close to winning a medal on home soil in the sprint at the World Championships.
- “Sometimes you just have to let go”: Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, who struggled at the World Championships in Lenzerheide, broke down in tears after the sprint.
- “I’m very proud”: Maya Cloetens tells Nordic Magazine how she made Belgian biathlon history by finishing eighth in the sprint at the Lenzerheide World Championships.
- The quest for a first individual world title: why this could be the right year for Quentin Fillon-Maillet, who starts the Lenzerheide sprint this Saturday.
- Lenzerheide: Johannes Thingnes Boe crushes the sprint to win a fourth world gold medal in the discipline, Quentin Fillon-Maillet gets a tan
- Lenzerheide: Johannes Thingnes Boe wins the sprint to become the most gold medal-winning biathlete in the history of the World Championships
- “I’m going to miss that feeling of being the best in the world”: Johannes Thingnes Boe continues to make history by winning the sprint at his last World Championships
- “Winning a first medal feels great”: bronze in the Lenzerheide sprint, Quentin Fillon-Maillet kicks off his World Championships in style
- “I feel really lucky”: at 22, Campbell Wright entered the big leagues by winning silver in the sprint at the World Championships.
- Lenzerheide: “I’m not going to spit on this race”: on the World Championships sprint, Tommaso Giacomel was reassured after the mixed relay
- Lenzerheide: the Swedes look grim after their unsuccessful sprint at the Worlds
- Lenzerheide: who is Sean Benson, who finished last in the sprint?
- Lenzerheide: Julia Simon, a golden opportunity to make World Championship history by winning the pursuit for the third time in a row
- “Everything still needs to be done”: Florent Claude, a 17th place finish in the Lenzerheide sprint that leaves you wanting more
- 65th in the Lenzerheide sprint, Gaia Brunello achieved Brazil’s best result at the Worlds: “A dream come true”.
- Lenzerheide: Dorothea Wierer withdraws from the World Championship chase
