Franziska Preuß Criticizes Biathlon Rule Change After Disappointing Oberhof Sprint

The German biathlete struggled with poor weather conditions and a new start group rule, finishing 28th in her worst performance of the season.

Franziska Preuß, a top biathlete, finished 28th in the Oberhof World Cup sprint after three shooting errors and challenging conditions on the course.
Heavy rain and deteriorating snow conditions worsened the track for later starters, disadvantaging Preuß and other top athletes under a new start group rule by the IBU.
The rule, introduced this season to maintain suspense for TV audiences, requires top-ranked athletes to start later, making them more vulnerable to worsening conditions.
Preuß criticized the IBU for not adjusting the start order despite severe weather, calling the decision unfair and questioning its impact on competition integrity.
Despite the poor result, Preuß retains the yellow jersey as the overall World Cup leader and will compete in the pursuit race on Saturday.