Lou Jeanmonnot, Franziska Preuss clash in 'bitterly disappointing' finale - 'What drama, but not the drama we wanted'
Updated 23/03/2025 at 14:50 GMT
There were unfortunate scenes at the end of the mass start in Oslo, as Lou Jeanmonnot and Franziska Preuss bumped into each other as the pair closed in on a sprint finish. It put Jeanmonnot out of contention, as Preuss powered on to bring the Crystal Globe back to Germany for the first time in eight years. "I cannot believe we’ve been denied the sprint finish that would have made the 2025 season!"
‘Not a fair contest!’ – Preuss refuses to celebrate after Jeanmonnot fall denies sprint finish
Video credit: TNT Sports
The women's mass start in the Biathlon World Cup ended in disappointment for Lou Jeanmonnot, after she clashed with eventual Crystal Globe winner Franziska Preuss.
As the pair, alongside Swede Elvira Oeberg, closed in on the final sprint, they crashed into each other, leaving the French biathlete on the floor and with a severe disadvantage.
The coming together, which was described as "a pure accident" by the TNT Sports commentary team, saw Preuss breeze to the finish line, while Oeberg took advantage to take second spot with Jeanmonnot settling for third place.
"Down goes Jeanmonnot!" TNT Sports commentator Patrick Winterburn shouted in disbelief as the pair turned a corner.
"Don’t tell me a fall is going to decide the season! She’s lost 20, 25 metres, and I cannot see her making it up from there!
"But was there obstruction, Mike? Was she given enough room around the corner by Franziska Preuss?"
Co-commentator Mike Dixon responded: "I thought Preuss was going quite wide and Preuss was ahead but didn’t close her off, didn’t chop her off, I don’t think. I need to see it again. Oh, my word!"
Winterburn questioned, "Is that the end of the season?" as the action continued to unfold.
"Jeanmonnot is coming back, she’s not giving up on this one, but Preuss is home and dry, providing there’s no protest.
"I cannot believe we’ve been denied the sprint finish that would have made the 2025 season!"
After further analysis, Dixon added: "That was so sad for Jeanmonnot.
"I think it was a pure accident, there was no intent, I’m 100% sure of that from Preuss, to do any damage there, and that happens in racing."
There were muted celebrations at the finish line as Preuss claimed the Crystal Globe.
"There is no celebration whatsoever because she knows that was not a fair contest in the end," Winterburn explained.
"It’s bitterly, bitterly disappointing for the thousands of fans who turned up, and Jeanmonnot will be in floods of tears under those shades!
"What drama, what drama, but not the sort of drama we wanted."
Despite the unfortunate event, the pair hugged it out on the finish line in a touching moment.
‘This is not the ending we wanted’ - Preuss
Speaking after the race, an emotional Preuss gave her thoughts on a bittersweet victory.
"Right now it’s really emotional," she said. "I’m really done mentality, of course.
"It’s a strange feeling right now, this is not the ending we wanted, it was a really exciting race and we were both together in the last loop, it was crazy. Strange, hard to explain."
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Tearful Preuss says ‘strange’ climax to World Cup ‘not the ending we wanted’
Video credit: TNT Sports
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