Biathlon: Camille Bened says she “needs to get back into the swing of things” after finishing 26th in the Oberhof sprint

Biathlon: Camille Bened still struggling on skis

She took the same shot as half the members of the top 10. With a 9/10, Camille Bened could have been expected to play a leading role in the sprint in Oberhof (Germany) on Thursday 8 January. But the Frenchwoman only finished 26th, 1 min 15 from the podium and 1 min 38 from victory.

The cause was her lack of speed on skis on what is probably the most difficult track on the world circuit. She lost 1 minute 11 seconds over the 2.5km loop (covered three times), which is 9.5 seconds per kilometre, double her usual pace since the start of the World Cup season.

She drops two places in the overall rankings

Speaking to La Chaîne L’Équipe, Camille Bened acknowledged his difficulties: “Once again, I lacked some on the skis. I need to get my rhythm back. I’ve only done two intensity sessions, so I need to get the machine going again. I hope I’ll feel better on Sunday”, the date of the pursuit (14h30).

Although she doesn’t take it as an excuse, the 25-year-old biathlete also had to quickly get to grips with an unfamiliar venue :“It was special for me because it was my first time in Oberhof. We travelled yesterday [Wednesday 7th], they brought the race forward and we didn’t have any pre-race training. We had to get our bearings very quickly. She is now 8th overall, ahead of Swedish sisters Elvira and Hanna Oeberg.

• “I think Sivert would be very proud of me”: Tommaso Giacomel wins the Oberhof sprint in tribute to his friend Sivert Guttorm Bakken
• In Oberhof, Philipp Nawrath on his first podium in two years: “It’s just crazy”.
• “Another way of paying tribute to Sivert”: an emotional third place for Johannes Dale-Skjevdal in the Oberhof sprint
• “It doesn’t pay in biathlon when you make two mistakes”: the frustration of Eric Perrot, sixth in the Oberhof sprint with a score of 8/10
• A losing bet and a “small regret” for Emilien Jacquelin, who failed to qualify for the Oberhof pursuit after his worst result for four years.
• Oberhof: Julia Simon takes third place in the sprint, victory for Elvira Oeberg