Women 15 km Individual Competition

Germany’s Franziska Preuss missed victory in the Oestersund Women’s 15 km Individual by .1 seconds, the smallest ever margin in the history of the event. Yet, for Preuss that second place was a huge victory, because it closed a circle that started back on January 23, 2023. That day, she announced her season was ending, “to take a break to regain strength both mentally and physically,” after an almost endless series of illnesses. By April, she said the “break worked as expected,” and began a long build up for the new season. Twenty times zero shooting and a solid course time on Sunday brought the affable 29-year-old Ruhpolding resident her first podium in 18 months, a victory in the battle against adversity.