In an interview with Sport1, Denise Herrmann-Wick talks about the dramatic final in the overall World Cup around her former companion Franziska Preuss. The Olympic champion also dares to look forward.
As a biathlon companion of Franziska Preuss, Denise Herrmann-Wick lived through beautiful and sad moments with Germany’s new overall World Cup winner. Accordingly, the German ex-biathlon star was excited about the season finale in Oslo with her compatriot.
In an exclusive interview with Sport1, the Olympic champion speaks about the dramatic last race and the touching gesture of Franziska Preuß to Lou JeanMonnot. Herrmann-Wick also takes a look at the other German women and gives a warning.
Denise Herrmann-Wick speaks in the Sport1 interview about Franziska Preuß’s success, among other things
Herrmann-Wick about the fall that decided everything
Sport1: Ms. Herrmann-Wick, her former companion Franziska Preuss actually secured the overall World Cup in an enormously dramatic way. How did you experience the memorable scenery?
Denise Herrmann-Wick: That was pure thrill of thrill, you could hardly see. At the beginning of the race I even said: hopefully none fall, hopefully there will be no stupid situation, hopefully it will remain an exciting fight until the end. It is incredible that the two of them actually go on the last round together and run around the overall World Cup. Such a constellation in biathlon is actually very unlikely.
Sport1: How do you rate the all -important scene, the fall of Prussia Rivalin Lou JeanMonnot?
Herrmann-Wick: Something like that can always happen. Franzi already drove a narrow line in the curve and gave Lou little space – however, this is nothing unusual in competitions. It just went unhappily, neither of them wanted the duel to be decided in this way. You could see that alone from the reactions. But it was the last meters of winter. Everyone is at the limit and it doesn’t take much to make it happen. Ultimately, it’s a racing situation. Both do not need to blame themselves. I still know this from cross -country skiing, especially in the sprint something similar occurred again and again.
Sport1: The compassionate reaction by Franziska Preuss will also be remembered for a long time …
Herrmann-Wick: This situation, this emotional chaos can only be experienced once. Franzi probably had a guilty conscience. She noticed that Lou fell and had a slightly inhibited joy. I found the pictures of the intimate hugs all the more beautiful. It would have been cool if there had been two balls for the overall World Cup in the case. But so was lucky on Franzi’s side.
Biathlon as a model for other sports?
Sport1: Despite all her disappointment, JeanMonnot was extremely fair from the first moment. Can other sports learn from biathlon, as Sven Hannawald wanted with Sport1 with regard to the generally rather rougher customs in the ski jump?
Herrmann-Wick: The athletes in the biathlon definitely appreciate themselves very much-this reflected this duel wonderfully. Both had media pressure, high expectations of themselves and knew: In the end, one will be the first, the other second. And no matter how it turns out, both did a great season. So respect is always there. A comparison with ski jumping is a bit difficult at the moment, considering that material fraud is the big topic.
Sport1: When did you think this season: Franziska Preuss packs it now and fetches the big ball?
Herrmann-Wick: You never finally know that. Not only the sporting performance plays a role, but also the fact whether you stay healthy or not. Franzi should not have been a single race – this was shown, for example, by Johannes Thinges Bö, who lost to Sturla Holm Laegreid due to illness (Pokljuka). So there was no moment for me. At Franzi, her consistency impressed me. It almost always ran at the front and survived small setbacks. She has learned that the most in recent years and is now making it strong.
Sport1: You know yourself the feeling of pressure to be the hunted. How do you manage to deal with it as nervous as Prussia made it?
Herrmann-Wick: Franzi is one of the most experienced athletes of the entire World Cup. She has developed this mental strength over the years – sometimes also in a tough way. This season, she brought everything to a new level again in this regard.
Bitter Olympic seasons have made Prussia stronger
Sport1: At the 2018 Olympics, they ran with her in the season, which in the end was only eighth. A lot went wrong, but it went particularly bad for Preuss at the time, who then also looked visible. How do you manage that as a athlete you don’t breathe at such moments?
Herrmann-Wick: The season at that time was an extraordinary race. Every biathlete also experiences weak moments and seasons when it comes to the penalty round. The same mishap happened to me in this season. However, it felt particularly bitter because it had already gone wrong at the 2014 Olympics in the season. Nevertheless, in such situations you grow the most when you admit that mistakes can happen and you can come back more. Because in the biathlon, especially in the challenging combination of shooting and shooting, there are always these darn moments.
Sport1: Have you been in person in person with Preuss since the weekend?
Herrmann-Wick: Yes, briefly in the past few days. Franzi looked very relaxed and only now begins to realize the whole story for himself. The last three weeks have been mentally a big challenge. What is petted on them in the media was extreme. Only one thing helps: your expectation in order to be able to put things into perspective. And even then the days don’t go by without a trace.
Prussia is “blessed with a lot of talent”
Sport1: Is there any special moment with Franzi Preuss as a teammate that you particularly like to remember?
Herrmann-Wick: What I remember most was 2014 when I was still active in cross-country skiing. As a young girl and ninth in the overall World Cup, Franzi came to the Olympic Games. At that time we lived in the hut next door, so I went over to her after the bitter season and told her how blatant it is what she already does here at her age. She is a very ambitious athlete and was blessed with a lot of talent early on. Franzi shoots well, it is going well – there was already a large career in the complex. It was almost only important that she mentally put the setbacks away.
Sport1: Do you think that you will also inspire the successes for the Olympic season or is there a risk that you will be a little full after such a huge success?
Herrmann-Wick: That Franzi sees what she can do for a whole season and that she is fit to the point in the major events. But I don’t think that she is already setting precise goals for the coming winter. It is more about knowing what is possible when all bikes merged. She is no longer allowed to think about what happened at the Olympics. It is a new event and she has now found her way how it works. So there is no longer any reason for her why she would have to worry.
The performance of Grotian and Co.
Sport1: The triumph of Preuss naturally outshines everything. But the younger German biathletes also had a decent winter. How do you rate the season of Grotian and Co.?
Herrmann-Wick: As a ninth in the overall World Cup, Selina was able to show again and again what she is able to do. She has now only turned 21 and has completed almost every race. It is blatant to run through a World Cup season completely at such a young age. But on the other hand, I found it sobering that only two German women were at the start at the final start of the mass in Oslo.
Sport1: Only Franziska Preuss and Selina Grotian made it among the top 30 in the overall World Cup – and Vanessa Voigt, who broke off their season prematurely due to their problems.
Herrmann-Wick: Everyone always scolds about the men. But here you have to hold on to be honored: there were four in the mass start (Philipp Nawrath, Justus Strelow, Danilo Riethmüller, Roman Rees. Editor’s editor) and with Philipp Horn, who left the race, even qualified a fifth. It was only two for women. There are certainly many talented young girls behind Franzi and Selina who have a lot of potential. You still have to go your way. If Franzi would break away now, things don’t really look good in the World Cup.