The World Cup winner is set to become a mother for the first time.

During last winter’s Olympics in Milano-Cortina, she retired on the spot after the mass start. Now the 32-year-old reveals that she is pregnant. 

“We could not be happier about this,” writes Franziska Preuss on social media.

The father of the child is former biathlon star Simon Schempp. The couple has been together since 2015. Preuss is due in February 2027.

Won the World Cup at the finish line

The German biathlon star won the overall World Cup in 2025 after a thriller that went down to the finish line in the very last race of the season. This winter, Preuss competed in her last Olympics. The mass start in Milano-Cortina was her final championship race. 

Also Read – Biathlon superstar drops bombshell: “I’ve made my decision”

Baby boom among biathletes

Preuss is not the only biathlete who is about to become a mother. 

This summer, Hanna Öberg announced that she and her partner Martin Ponsiluoma will become parents for the first time this winter. 

Read More – Olympic star reveals: Pregnant

A few weeks later, Anamarija Lampic shared the news that she is also pregnant. The 31-year-old Slovenian made headlines when she ended a brilliant cross-country career and switched to biathlon in 2022, just months before the home World Championships in Planica in 2023. 

Also Read: Following Hanna Öberg – another pregnant biathlete

Just under a month ago, Hanna Öberg’s national team teammate Linn Gestblom announced that she is pregnant. Earlier this fall, Swedish biathlete Tilda Johansson announced that she has become a mother to little Noah. 

Solid career

Franziska Preuss made her World Cup debut in 2013. Since then, she has competed in 297 World Cup races, finished on the podium in 57 of them and won 15. She has won the overall World Cup once (2025) and three discipline titles (mass start 2015 and 2025, sprint 2025). 

Preuss has a total of two Olympic medals: bronze in the relay in 2022 and bronze in the mixed relay in 2026. She also has 11 World Championship medals, including two golds. 

Are you interested in biathlon? Click HERE and read more about it.

As a member of ProXCskiing.com, you get full access to all content on the site. Also, live streaming of Ski Classics events with English commentary is available.

When you become part of one of the World’s leading XC ski communities, you will receive many exclusive offers all year round.

REGISTER HERE AS A MEMBER