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Oberhof (dpa) - Simon Schempp could not even deliver the congratulations for his girlfriend personally.
While Franziska Preuss was hoping for a great World Cup medal in Oberhof, the former number one German biathlete had to watch the races on television.
The shapeless ex-world champion Schempp does not play a role in the team a good three weeks before the championship fights in Pokljuka (February 10-21) and will almost certainly miss another season highlight.
On the other hand, Preuss is finally in the constitution at the right time, which she longed for in vain.
"I've never felt so stable," said Preuss.
And so she first led the relay to home win in Thuringia and also finished second in the mass start on Sunday.
«I can hardly have it better.
In any case, I am confident and have been able to recharge my batteries », said Preuss.
Schempp called her after her second individual victory, which she just missed, “Vice boss in the ring” and applauded his long-term partner on Instagram.
At the end of December they competed together in a show race in Ruhpolding and had already won silver in the mixed relay in 2016.
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Until a week ago, the 32-year-old Schempp was still in Oberhof himself and started the first part of the World Cup on the Rennsteig.
After poor results with ranks 58th (sprint) and 45th (pursuit), he lost his place in the team and is fighting to keep up.
The Swabian, who was the last runner of the season for years, already missed the last two world championships.
Injuries, weakness in shape - the top performances are a long way off.
In 2017 he became world champion in the mass start, a year later he almost became Olympic champion in Pyeongchang.
In the sprint to the finish, the Frenchman Martin Fourcade came out on top - and Schempp won silver.
"We hope that he will go where he used to be and help us on the team," said teammate Erik Lesser about Schempp last year.
A return is still open, further appearances in the World Cup are uncertain.
It is now to Antholz, of all places.
It is the place that suits him like no other.
Schempp took five of his twelve World Cup victories in the heights of South Tyrol.
But he won't be there and should work on his form in the second-rate IBU Cup on the Arber in Bavaria.
The residues on the trail were huge recently.
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Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Preuss is approaching the World Cup dress rehearsal in Italy very positively.
«I'm really looking forward to Antholz.
I just make sure that I continue to work the races with such concentration and that I regenerate well, "said the Bavarian before the individual on Thursday (2.15 p.m. / ZDF and Eurosport):" Then I'll be aggressive in any case. "
Preuss last delivered as good results as it did in 2015, when she first won gold with the relay at the World Championships in Kontiolahti and then won silver in the mass start at the age of just 21.
She also went through many crises and phases of injury afterwards.
The self-doubts were great, but Preuss fought his way back again and again and is now at least temporarily replacing Denise Herrmann as the German number one.
As fifth in the overall World Cup, she is slowly getting used to the responsible role of the relay runner.
Schempp helped her, assuring her that she deserved it.
"It was brutally good for me to hear that from him," said Preuss.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210118-99-71131 / 2