Frenchwoman Lou Jeanmonnot won the sprint and the pursuit this weekend, and becomes a candidate for the general classification. Among the men, Sebastian Samuelsson made a strong impression.
After a first career victory in the sprint, thanks to a 10/10 and a good skiing time, Lou Jeanmonnot offered herself a magnificent double on Sunday by once again signing a flawless shooting, and ahead by one breathes Franziska Preuss at the finish line. The young Frenchwoman (25 years old) is a candidate for the big Crystal Globe, which should be hotly contested this year. She is only three points behind Preuss, and her compatriot Vanessa Voigt who completes the podium.
The Germans benefit from their superb glide, thanks to more efficient waxing than other nations, which allows them to be more competitive on skis. Julia Simon, reigning world champion, is still too irregular in shooting, like the other tricolor Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and the Oeberg sisters. The Norwegians are in ambush (there are four of them in the top 8 in the general classification), while the Italians Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer are too slow on skis at the moment.
Among the men, it was the Swede Sebastian Samuelsson who made a very strong impression on Sunday, winning the pursuit despite three shooting errors and starting fourth. He was much faster than his competitors, notably Philipp Nawrath, winner of the sprint on Saturday and second in the pursuit on Sunday. The German nevertheless retains the lead in the general classification ahead of Samuelsson, and there are five Norwegians in the top eight.
Johannes Boe is less dominant than last year on skis, and still too hesitant when shooting, while his competitor Sturla Laegreid is completely out of shape. Similar observation for the French: Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Emilien Jacquelin are at the level on the skis but not on the shooting range, and only Fabien Claude manages to play the leading roles at the start of the season. But winter is still long.
On the relay, the Norwegians lived up to their reputation, dominating the other nations without question. France managed to secure second place thanks to a superb final shot from Quentin Fillon-Maillet, getting the better of the Germans. Sweden, at home, was disappointing by only finishing sixth, weighed down by too frequent shooting errors.
In the women’s relay, Norway won gold, ahead of Sweden and Germany. The French relay was disappointing, too irregular in shooting. The tricolors finished in fifth place, but almost two minutes and thirty seconds behind the winners. Chloé Chevalier, second runner, unfortunately missed her standing shot, taking a penalty lap. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet didn’t really succeed in redressing the situation, and Julia Simon was already too far gone. Italy, deprived of an ill Lisa Vittozzi, also finished very far away.
In 2023-2024, biathletes will compete in nine World Cup stages and the world championships in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic):
The Biathlon World Cup calendar for the 2023/2024 season has been revealed by the IBU (International Biathlon Union). Here is the schedule:
This 2023/2024 biathlon season will be marked by the world championships taking place in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic). From February 7 to 18, biathletes from each nation will meet at the World Championships to try to win medals. Here is the schedule for the world championships:
