Biathlon | Cross-country skiing: three biathletes from the Vosges join the FFS
As is the case every spring, the publication of the national team lists by the French Ski Federation (FFS) is a relief for those selected and a complicated time for those who fail to make the cut. This year is no exception to tradition.
On Tuesday afternoon, when the FFS made its groups official, three biathletes were all smiles: Amandine Mengin, Martin Botet and Corentin Jacob from the Vosges. Never before included in a federal squad, they have all been selected for the French B team.
They will be joined by Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Célia Henaff, Edgar Geny and Axel Garnier, other winners who have moved up from the Excellence 2030 group. Anaëlle Bondoux, Valentin Lejeune and Damien Levet, meanwhile, can rest easy as they remain in Group B despite a difficult season.
Océane Michelon and Jeanne Richard still in A
Océane Michelon and Jeanne Richard are also biathletes who have taken this announcement in their stride: for the second year running, they are in the A training group alongside Lou Jeanmonnot, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Julia Simon. Still in A, but on the men’s side, Antonin Guigonnat and Emilien Claude are back in the squad.
Finally, the last winning biathletes in this 2025/2026 vintage are Lola Bugeaud, Namou Candau-Armand, Coralie Perrin, Louise Roguet, Antonin Delsol, Camille Grataloup-Manissolle, Guillaume Poirot, Antonin Guy, Léo Carlier, Flavio Guy and Lou-Anne Dupont Ballet-Baz, members of the Excellence 2030 group. The last four have been reappointed, while the others are joining the team for the first time.
Sophie Chauveau and Gilonne Guigonnat move from group A to group B
Among the disappointed, Sophie Chauveau from Bornand and Gilonne Guigonnat from Chablais have been relegated to the B training group. Paula Botet and Camille Bened, who would also have been eligible for the A group, can also be justifiably saddened by the federal government’s decisions.
The other losers are out of the federal groups altogether. This year, they are Fany Bertrand, Léonie Jeannier, Lisa Siberchicot and Rémi Broutier, who were in Group B last summer, as well as Eva Laine and Lionel Jouannaud, who were previously in the Excellence 2030 group.
Last but not least, Mathieu Garcia, Violette Bony, Léna Moretti, Caline Pic, Noé Seigneur, Clément Pirès, Enzo Bouillet, Ian Martinet, Alice Dusserre, Judicaël Perrillat-Bottonet, Maëla Correia, Lou Thiévent, Adrien Baylac, Nathanaël Peaquin and Jacques Jefferies, all of whom could have hoped to join one of the FFS groups, remain on the sidelines.
Victor Lovera back in the federal group, firsts for Mathieu Blanc, Victor Cullet Calderini and Justine Gaillard
In cross-country skiing, the main winner is Victor Lovera. A member of the feeder group for the 2023/2024 season, he was dropped from the squad a year ago. After a fine winter, he has been reinstated and is included in the France A team list.
France Pignot and Ivan Essonnier, also former members of the federal groups, have regained the confidence of the staff. The former has been retained in the women’s A/B squad, the latter in the men’s B squad.
Mathieu Blanc (B), Victor Cullet Calderini (B) and Justine Gaillard (A/B) are joining a French Ski Federation team for the very first time in their lives, while Margot Tirloy (A/B), Romain Vaxelaire (B) and Quentin Viguier (B) have been promoted from the Excellence 2030 team.
Last but not least, Victor Lafrasse, Jules Bobillier-Chaumont, Lucile Coutaz and Romane Nappey also joined a federal group for the first time , being selected in the same Excellence 2030 collective.
Léonie Besson among the disappointed
Among the losers, Julien Arnaud, Sabin Coupat, Gaspard Rousset, Maya Desseux and Clémence Didierlaurent, all in the B team in 2024/2025, have lost their places in the FFS.
Behind those selected are a host of disappointed athletes, starting with the Haut-Alpine Léonie Besson, who failed to win the confidence of the coaching staff despite two impressive World Cup appearances, including a qualification for the sprint finals in Les Rousses (Jura) this winter.
Mattéo Correia, Simon Chappaz, Luc Primet, Léo Leuenberger, Julie Marciniak, Félicie Chappaz, Manon Favre Bonvin, Isaie Taxil, Lorin Vergnolle, Chloé Missillier, Marguerite Couval and Daphné Patois may then be frustrated not to have seen their names included in one of the federal groups.
The official composition of the French biathlon teams for the 2025/2026 season
France Team
Ladies
- 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) 🇫🇷
Men
- 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) 🇫🇷
France B Team
Ladies
- 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) 🇫🇷
Men
- Martin Botet – Club des Sports Les Ménuires (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Axel Garnier – Ski Club Sallanches Tête Noire (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Edgar Geny – Ski Club Sallanches Tête Noire (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Théo Guiraud-Poillot – Ski Club Villard sur Boëge (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Corentin Jacob – Club des Sports La Féclaz (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Valentin Lejeune – Basse sur Le Rupt Nordic skiing (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Damien Levet – Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Gaëtan Paturel – Ski Club Nordique Pays Rochois (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
Excellence 2030 Group
Ladies
- Lola Bugeaud – Megève Nordic Skiing (Mont-Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Namou Candau-Armand – Bauges Nordic skiing (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Lou-Anne Dupont Ballet-Baz – Club des Sports La Clusaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Coralie Perrin – Club des Sports La Féclaz (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Louise Roguet – Ski Club Nordique Praz-de-Lys-Sommand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
Men
- Léo Carlier – Ski Club Val de Morteau (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Antonin Delsol – Club des Sports La Féclaz (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Camille Grataloup-Manissolle – CS Nordique Villard de Lans (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Antonin Guy – GUC Grenoble Ski (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Flavio Guy – Risoux Club Chaux Neuve (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Guillaume Poirot – La Bressaude Ski Section (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
The official composition of the French cross-country ski teams for the 2025/2026 season
French women’s A and B teams
- Delphine Claudel – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / La Bressaude Ski Section (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Flora Dolci – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Association Sportive Edelweiss (Alpes Provence) 🇫🇷
- Léna Quintin – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Mélina Berthet – Vercors Ski de Fond (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Heidi Convard – Club des Sports Courchevel (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Liv Coupat – Bessat Sport d’Hiver (Forez) 🇫🇷
- Juliette Ducordeau – Club Ski Nordique Villard de Lans (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Justine Gaillard – Ski Amical Méaudrais (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Mélissa Gal – Ski Club Nordique Pays Rochois (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Cloé Pagnier – Risoux Club Chaux Neuve (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Léonie Perry – La Bressaude Ski Section (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Julie Pierrel – Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- France Pignot – Ski Club d’Agy St-Sigismond (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Margot Tirloy – Club des Sports La Clusaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
France A men’s team
- Rémi Bourdin – POLICE NATIONALE / Ski Club Frasne Drugeon (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Lucas Chanavat – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Jules Chappaz – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Club des Sports La Clusaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Mathis Desloges – POLICE NATIONALE / Club Ski Nordique Villard de Lans (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Richard Jouve – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Club des Sports de Méribel (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Hugo Lapalus – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Club des Sports La Clusaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Jules Lapierre – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Chartreuse Nordic Skiing (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Victor Lovera – Ski Nordique Chartreuse (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Clément Parisse – DOUANE / Club des Sports Megève (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Théo Schely – Club des Sports La Clusaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
France men’s B team
- Mathieu Blanc – Club des Sports de Méribel (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Victor Cullet Calderini – Club des Sports Les Ménuires (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Charly Deuffic – Union Sportive Autranaise (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Ivan Essonnier – Club des Sports La Féclaz (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Milhan Laissus – Club des Sports Les Menuires (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Romain Vaxelaire – La Bressaude Ski Section (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Quentin Viguier – Club des Sports La Clusaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
Excellence 2030 Group
Ladies
- Gaëtane Breniaux – Prémanon Ski Club (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Annette Coupat – Bessat Sports d’Hiver (Forez) 🇫🇷
- Lucile Coutaz – Ski Club de Bozel (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Agathe Margreither – Haut Jura Ski (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Romane Nappey – Ski Club Val de Morteau (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Anouchka Neuville – SC Nordique Pays Rochois (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
Men
- Jules Bobillier-Chaumont – Club des Skieurs Randonneurs (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Johan Calandry – The Dragons of Annecy (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Gaspard Cottaz – Nordic skiing Oisans (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Victor Lafrasse – Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Quentin Lespine – Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
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- 2025/2026 season: the complete selection of the French men’s B team
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- 2025/2026 season: the full selection of the men’s Excellence 2030 group
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- Cross-country skiing: the composition of the French national teams for the 2025/2026 season
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- 2025/2026 season: the complete selection of the French men’s B team
- 2025/2026 season: the full selection of the men’s Excellence 2030 group
- Season 2025/2026: the full selection of the women’s Excellence 2030 group
- Ski jumping: the make-up of the French teams for the 2025/2026 season… with newcomer Louis Obersteiner and leaders Joséphine Pagnier and Valentin Foubert
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- Nordic Combined: the composition of the French teams for the 2025/2026 season
- 2025/2026 season: the full selection of men’s French teams
- 2025/2026 season: the full selection of French women’s teams
