Biathlon: off to the World Cup for my Vosges native Amandine Mengin
Amandine Mengin never ceases to amaze. With no major international references just a year ago, the Vosges skier enjoyed an exceptional winter in 2024/2025, marked by victorious debuts in the Junior Cup and then the IBU Cup, medals at the Junior World Championships and a discovery of the World Cup in Oslo-Holmenkollen (Norway).
A member of the French B team since the spring, the Bressaude has secured her ticket for the most prestigious of circuits over the last few days during the French selections. Solid in all three races, Amandine Mengin did better than Sophie Chauveau or Paula Botet to secure her ticket for Östersund (Sweden).
However, confidence was not necessarily high going into the Savoyard competitions, due to months of complicated training.
“I’ve had a bit of a difficult time preparing because of a few health problems [which she doesn’t wish to reveal]. I didn’t have the best summer of my life,” she sums up for Nordic Magazine. It’s true that I didn’t expect to be at this level straight away, especially physically. I didn’t think I had the weapons to be able to fight. So it’s a very pleasant surprise to see that I’m capable of doing this, and that reassures me!
A well-run selective week
Especially as qualification for the World Cup wasn’t the main aim at the start of her season. I knew that, in any case, I’d be going to the IBU Cup,” she says. As one of the smallest teams, I wasn’t exactly the favourite to take one of the three places, but despite that, I fought hard to get there because, even if it wasn’t a major one, it was still a goal and experience to be gained.
With no pressure, 21-year-old Amandine Mengin approached the various FFS selection meetings without stress. I enjoyed myself,” she enthuses. But although I knew I was in the running, that didn’t influence things at all because we were all still in the running for the remaining places.
Second in the second sprint on Tuesday morning ahead of a certain Lou Jeanmonnot, the biathlete from La Bressaude was able to savour her selection as soon as her race was over. ” When I crossed the finish line in the lead and only Camille [Bened] went in front, I knew I was going,” she says.
“I’m not putting any more pressure on myself or setting myself any goals because it’s only my second time and I’m still discovering this circuit”.
So Amandine Mengin is going to start her winter as she finished the last one: on the World Cup. This time, I’m likely to be a little fresher physically,” she laughs. I’m going to be even more keen to show that I can take a chase! I’m not putting any more pressure on myself or setting myself any targets because it’s only my second time and I’m still discovering this circuit.
I’m going to gain a lot of experience and continue to discover, learn and observe,” she continues. I’m obviously keen to do well, but, once again, I know that you have to work to reach World Cup level. This won’t be my first competition, and I’m not going to go out there and wreak havoc!
She already knows the Östersund site
Before taking to the track, Amandine Mengin will have the chance to train for almost a week at a venue she already knows , having spent a fortnight there last season at the World Junior Championships. An obvious advantage.
“It’s a track that I know and that I’ve already worked on, like the shooting range. I’m going there with a good base and I won’t be too lost like I was in Oslo where I discovered everything”, she says.
Her aim is to keep her place in the group for the trip to Hochfilzen (Austria). It would be really cool not to do just one stage,” she admits. Otherwise, dropping back down to the IBU Cup wouldn’t be a failure. I’ll be doing my homework there too!
- Sélections FFS de Bessans: the first sprint for Camille Bened, Amandine Mengin and Gilonne Guigonnat follow
- Sélections FFS de Bessans: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet wins the mass-start in the finish ahead of Océane Michelon, Camille Bened first of the World Cup qualifiers
- Camille Bened is going to the World Cup, Fany Bertrand, Célia Henaff, Damien Levet and Valentin Lejeune are well on their way to the IBU Cup: an update on the FFS selections from Bessans after two races.
- Sélections FFS de Bessans: Camille Bened, in great form, dominates the second sprint, Amandine Mengin and Lou Jeanmonnot follow
- Camille Bened, Amandine Mengin and Gilonne Guigonnat to accompany the leaders: France’s women’s team for the Östersund World Cup officially announced
- For Nordic Magazine, Amandine Mengin reflects one last time on her exceptional 2024/2025 season: “It’s impossible to do as well”.
- “A first step into the big leagues”: Amandine Mengin reacts to her selection for the French B team for the 2025/2026 season
- Amandine Mengin, at the start of the Bessans training camp, looks back on her first steps in the French team: “The programme is so cool, so it’s going really well”.
