Biathlon: the start of the 2024/2025 World Cup approaches
While the biathletes from most of the national biathlon teams will be competing in preparatory races this weekend, the 2024/2025 World Cup will kick off in 13 days’ time on Saturday 30 November in Kontiolahti (Finland). Once again this year, mixed events will be held at the very start of the season, followed by relays, short individual events, sprints and mass start events, all scheduled to take place at the same venue until 8 December.
After that, the stages of the world circuit will follow, with Hochfilzen (Austria) and Le Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie) before Christmas, Oberhof (Germany), Ruhpolding (Germany) and Antholz (Italy) in January, then Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), Pokljuka (Slovenia) and Oslo-Holmenkollen (Norway) in March. Meanwhile, in February, the World Championships, which do not count towards the crystal globe, will take place in Lenzerheide (Switzerland).
Lou Jeanmonnot ahead of Julia Simon and Lisa Vittozzi
With less than two weeks to go before the start of the season, the betting sites have already put the odds on winning the crystal globe online. Although the odds may vary depending on the site, France’s Lou Jeanmonnot seems to be the favourite on the women’s side, with bwin offering odds of 2.85.
Behind them, the last two winners of the crystal trophy, Julia Simon and Lisa Vittozzi, follow at 4.10, while Justine Braisaz-Bouchet is at 6.10, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold at 6.25 and Elvira Oeberg at 7.50. The bookmakers have less faith in the chances ofHanna Oeberg (13.50), Dorothea Wierer (16.00), Franziska Preuss (16.00), Lena Haecki-Gross (67.00) and Lisa Theresa Hauser (251.0).
Johannes Thingnes Boe and the Norwegians overwhelming favourites
On the men’s side, again at bwin, the hierarchy is even more pronounced, with Johannes Thingnes Boe the overwhelming favourite at 1.40 ahead of Sturla Holm Lægreid (5.00). Next up is Tarjei Boe (9.00), followed by Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen and Emilien Jacquelin (21.00). Johannes Dale-Skjevdal and Eric Perrot are at 26.00, with Swedes Martin Ponsiluoma and Sebastian Samuelsson and Johan-Olav Botn and Quentin Fillon-Maillet at 34.00.
Tommaso Giacomel, Philipp Nawrath and Endre Stroemsheim, at 67.00, followed by Niklas Hartweg, Campbell Wright, Michal Krcmar, Tero Seppälä, Lukas Hofer and Fabien Claude at 251.00.
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The full programme for the 2024/2025 Biathlon World Cup
Kontiolahti 🇫🇮
Saturday 30th November
- 1.15pm: Mixed singles relay
- 3.45pm: Mixed relay
Sunday 1st December
- 1.45pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
- 5.25pm: Women’s 4x6km relay
Tuesday 3rd December
- 4.20pm: Men’s 15km individual short
Wednesday 4 December
- 4.20pm: Women’s individual short 12.5km
Friday 6 December
- 4.20pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Saturday 7 December
- 5.10pm: Women’s 7.5km sprint
Sunday 8 December
- 2.30pm: men’s 15 km mass-start
- 5.10pm: women’s 12.5km mass-start
Hochfilzen 🇦🇹
Friday 13 December
- 11.30am: women’s 7.5 km sprint
- 2.20pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Saturday 14th December
- 12.30pm: women’s 10 km pursuit
- 2.45pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
Sunday 15 December
- 11.30am: Women’s 4×6 km relay
- 2.15pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
Le Grand-Bornand 🇫🇷
Thursday 19 December
- 2.20pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Friday 20th December
- 2.20pm: women’s 7.5km sprint
Saturday 21 December
- 12.30pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
- 2.45pm: women’s 10 km pursuit
Sunday 22nd December
- 12.30pm: men’s 15 km mass-start
- 2.45pm: women’s 12.5km mass-start
Oberhof 🇩🇪
Thursday 9 January
- 2.20pm: women’s 7.5km sprint
Friday 10 January
- 2.20pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Saturday 11th January
- 12.30pm: women’s 10 km pursuit
- 2.45pm: women’s 12.5 km pursuit
Sunday 12 January
- 12.20pm: Mixed relay
- 2.30pm: Mixed singles relay
Ruhpolding 🇩🇪
Wednesday 15 January
- 2.10pm: Men’s 20km individual
Thursday 16 January
- 2.10pm: Women’s 15km individual
Friday 17 January
- 2.20pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
Saturday 18 January
- 2.20pm: Women’s 4x6km relay
Sunday 19 January
- 12.30pm: men’s 15 km mass-start
- 15:00: women’s 12.5 km mass-start
Antholz 🇮🇹
Thursday 23 January
- 2.30pm: women’s 7.5 km sprint
Friday 24 January
- 2.30pm: Men’s 10 km sprint
Saturday 25 January
- 1.00 pm: women’s 10 km pursuit
- 2.55pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
Sunday 26 January
- 12.05pm: Women’s 4×6 km relay
- 2.45pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
Lenzerheide World Championships 🇨🇭
Wednesday 12 February
- 2.30pm: mixed relay
Friday 14 February
- 3.05pm: women’s 7.5 km sprint
Saturday 15 February
- 3.05pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Sunday 16 February
- 12.05pm: Women’s 10 km pursuit
- 3.05pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
Tuesday 18 February
- 3.05pm: Women’s 15km individual
Wednesday 19 February
- 3.05pm: Men’s 20km individual
Thursday 20 February
- 4.05pm: Mixed single relay
Saturday 22 February
- 12.05pm: Women’s 4×6 km relay
- 3.05pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
Sunday 23 February
- 1.45pm: women’s 12.5 km mass-start
- 4.05pm: men’s 15km mass-start
Nove Mesto 🇨🇿
Thursday 6 March
- 6.20pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Friday 7 March
- 6.20pm: women’s 7.5km sprint
Saturday 8 March
- 2.55pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
- 5.40pm: Women’s 10km pursuit
Sunday 9 March
- 1.50pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
- 4.45pm: Women’s 4x6km relay
Pokljuka 🇸🇮
Thursday 13 March
- 3.15pm: Women’s 15km individual
Friday 14th March
- 3.15pm: Men’s 20km individual
Saturday 15 March
- 1.05pm: Mixed relay
- 3.45pm: Mixed singles relay
Sunday 16 March
- 1.05pm: women’s 12.5 km mass-start
- 3.45pm: men’s 15km mass-start
Oslo-Holmenkollen 🇳🇴
Friday 21 March
- 1.30pm: Men’s 10 km sprint
- 4.15pm: Women’s 7.5km sprint
Saturday 22nd March
- 1.45pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
- 3.50pm: women’s 10km pursuit
Sunday 23rd March
- 1.15pm: men’s 15km mass-start
- 3.45pm: women’s 12.5km mass-start
- 27 countries expected in Kontiolahti for the start of the World Cup
- The countdown is on: the 2024/2025 World Cup kicks off in a month’s time in Kontiolahti
- With Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer and Tommaso Giacomel: Italy (already) unveils its selection for the Kontiolahti World Cup
- IBU breaks new ground with mass-starts for the first stage of the 2024/2025 World Cup
- The programme for the Grand-Bornand World Cup, scheduled for December 2024, is already known.
