Biathlon: three days at Prémanon to lay the foundations for Olympic preparation
Since Monday morning, the men’s and women’s biathletes in the French A and B teams have been in Prémanon (Jura) for the first training camp in their Olympic preparations. It’s a gathering lasting just three days, early in the season.
“It’s rare that we do this, but the programme is dense and very busy, Simon Fourcade, the fitness coach for the French men’s senior team, tells Nordic Magazine. All this will serve to prepare the bodies for the workloads that will follow.”
The 72-hour programme at the Centre national de ski nordique et de moyenne montagne (CNSNMM) in Prémanon (Jura) focuses on prophylaxis, i.e. all the measures to be taken to prevent injuries.
“The aim is to determine the training process for the summer, based on each person’s individual characteristics and any physical problems that need to be sorted out, says Stéphane Bouthiaux, director of the French biathlon teams. This is very important.”
“Do preparatory work on the muscles and joints”
Cyril Burdet, the fitness coach for the women’s A team, explains in more detail the aim of this first training camp of the summer.
“There’s a programme devised by Romain Hurtault, our physical trainer, with all five of the group’s physiotherapists, who will also all be present. The idea is to do a check-up of all the athletes, to see if everything is in order before we start our preparation, explains the Savoyard. The aim is also to do some preparatory work on the muscles and joints to minimise the risk of injury before the season starts.”
As a result, training time will not be the priority. “There will still be a few sessions, particularly in shooting, to get back in touch with the rifle and take stock of the situation and get back on track,” notes Cyril Burdet.
The first real biathlon course is scheduled for June
“We’re also going to take advantage of this time to get together with the staff and draw up the broad outlines of the preparation, continues the Les Bleues coach. For the athletes, it will be an opportunity to take stock of the summer’s preparations and set short-term work objectives!”
After this 72-hour gathering, the A groups will head to the Presqu’île de Giens (Var) from 26 to 30 May for the CNOSF’s pre-Olympic training camp. The biathletes won’t get down to business until June : the men from 14 to 20 June in Corrençon-en-Vercors (Isère), and the women from 23 to 29 June again in Prémanon.
French biathlon team groups involved in the Prémanon (Jura) training camp
France A men’s team
- Emilien Claude – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Basse sur Le Rupt Nordic skiing (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Fabien Claude – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Basse sur Le Rupt Nordic skiing (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Quentin Fillon-Maillet – DOUANE / Ski Club du Grandvaux (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Emilien Jacquelin – DOUANE / CS Nordique Villard de Lans (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Eric Perrot – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Peisey-Vallandry (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Oscar Lombardot – Entente Sportive Saugette (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Antonin Guigonnat – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Morzine Avoriaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
French women’s A team
- Justine Braisaz-Bouchet – DOUANE / Club des Sports des Saisies (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Lou Jeanmonnot – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Olympic Mont d’Or (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Océane Michelon – Bauges Ski Nordique (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Jeanne Richard – POLICE NATIONALE / Les Gets Ski Competition (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Julia Simon – DOUANE / Club des Sports des Saisies (Savoie) 🇫🇷
French women’s B team
- Paula Botet – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / La Bressaude Ski Section (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Sophie Chauveau – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Camille Bened – Ski Club Chablais Nordic (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Anaëlle Bondoux – GUC Grenoble Ski (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Voldiya Galmace-Paulin – Ski Club Villard sur Boëge (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Célia Henaff – Ski Club Arèches Beaufort (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Gilonne Guigonnat – Ski Club Villard sur Boëge (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Amandine Mengin – La Bressaude Ski Section (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- A first three-day training camp scheduled from 12 May in Prémanon: the start of the new season approaches for the French team
- Prémanon, Corrençon-en-Vercors, Ceillac, Bessans, Antholz, Font-Romeu and Geilo: the full 2025/2026 preparatory programme for the French senior men’s team
- Prémanon, Ceillac, Bessans, Antholz and Ramsau: the full 2025/2026 preparatory programme for the French senior women’s team
- Prémanon, Ceillac, Bessans and Ramsau: the full 2025/2026 preparatory programme for the French women’s B team
- Back to work at Prémanon: the first training camp in the French national team’s Olympic preparations starts this Monday.
