Lenzerheide (Switzerland) - Sensation at the Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland: Franziska Preuß (30) is World Champion! After winning silver in the sprint, she put in an incredibly strong performance in the pursuit and won her first World Championship title in an individual race. She had won gold with the relay team in Kontiolahti in 2015.

Preuß started the race from second position in a controlled manner, arriving at the shooting range shortly after the world champion from the sprint, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet. She mastered the first prone stage with ease and remained clear, while the Frenchwoman had to go into the penalty loop. Together with Switzerland's Lena Haecki-Gross, the German took the lead, but defending champion Julia Simon and Lou Jeanmonnot stormed up from behind, also shooting zero misses. Braisaz-Bouchet also joined the duo.

Haecki-Gross and Preuß shot in parallel, Braisaz-Bouchet and Jeanmonnot with a slight delay. All of them kept their nerve and shot zero misses, only Simon surprisingly had to go into the penalty loop three times.

The Swiss skier took the lead in the first standing stage, Preuß took it slower and that paid off. She was the only one of the leading quartet to remain penalty-free and went into the penultimate round 15 seconds ahead of Haecki-Gross.

On this lap, she extended her lead over her pursuers to 24 (Haecki-Gross) and Braisaz-Bouchet (31 seconds). Elvira Öberg was lurking in fourth place.

Preuß then made victory clear in the shooting, remaining clear for the fourth time, all others shot penalty rounds.