We’re going to have to work hard. And push the cursor a little higher for the French biathlon, which is expected around the corner for the resumption of the World Cup in Oberhof (Germany) from Thursday to Sunday. The Tricolores started their pre-Olympic season well with 19 podiums including 7 victories in 22 events contested, despite a few absences, such as the fall of Emilien Jacquelin in the final of the pursuit in Hochfilzen (Austria).
At Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie), last stage of 2024, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet’s victory in pursuit is the only one to put on the scoreboard for Les Bleues at home. The week was tricky for French N.1 Lou Jeanmonnot, 3rd overall: she ranked 14th at best in three races at Grand-Bornand. She is now more than 200 points behind yellow bib holder Franziska Preuss (565 pts).
“I am able to play (the big crystal globe, editor’s note) physically. To say that I am capable of playing it mentally, I don’t know“, explained Lou Jeanmonnot at the start of the season. Julia Simon is in fourth position in the race for the big crystal globe, less than forty points from Jeanmonnot.
Boe crushes the competition
The Italian Lisa Vittozzi, winner of the 2023-24 World Cup but plagued by back problems since the fall which made her postpone her return several times, finally decided to give up the whole season to focus on the 2026 Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Among the men, Johannes Boe finished the year 2024 with a victory in the pursuit and two podiums in the sprint and in the mass start of Grand-Bornand. The 31-year-old Norwegian crushes the competition and is nearly 200 points ahead of the French Emilien Jacquelin and Eric Perrot, also 3rd and 4th. The latter, a rising star of the Blues, obtained a good second place in pursuit at Grand-Bornand.
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Video credit: Eurosport
“I think I still need experience to be able to have a huge season at the forefront (…) I’m not depriving myself of anything. I’m going to keep working on each race and see where it takes me“, he confided to AFP after his mass-start victory in Kontiolahti (Finland) at the beginning of December.
-After Oberhof, the world circuit remains in Germany in Ruhpolding, from January 15 to 19, then will reach Italy for the Anterselva stage (January 23-26) where the biathlon events of the 2026 Olympic Games will take place. The Worlds will be held in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) from February 12 to 23.
The program for the 4th stage of the Biathlon World Cup, in Oberhof (Germany)
(14h20) Sprint 7,5 km femmes
(2:20 p.m.) Men’s 10 km sprint
(12:30 p.m.) Women’s 10 km pursuit
(2:45 p.m.) Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
(12:30 p.m.) Single mixed relay
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