Biathlon: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet emerges victorious from her duel with Océane Michelon in Bessans
After the sprints on Saturday, the mass-starts were contested this Sunday morning in Bessans (Savoie) as part of the FFS biathlon 2025 selections.
At 9.20am, the women opened the hostilities on the Bessan snowfarm. Even though Lou Jeanmonnot, who was slightly ill, and Julia Simon, for reasons known to all, were absent, this first direct confrontation of the winter promised a great show.
Unsurprisingly, it was the girls in the World Cup group who came out on top. At the end of the race, there was even a magnificent mano a mano between Savoyard Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (18/20), 2022 Olympic and 2024 World Champion in the exercise, and Océane Michelon (18/20).
Although the latter came out of the last shot with an 8 sec 1 lead, she was caught by her elder, who went on to win brilliantly in the sprint.
Camille Bened unofficially in the World Cup
Third place on the day went to Montblanc’s Jeanne Richard (17/20), at 26 sec 7.
Then, in the battle for the three remaining World Cup tickets, it was once again Camille Bened (17/20) who came out on top. Fourth the day after her success in the sprint, she is quite simply the first of the qualifiers and unofficially secures her ticket for Östersund (Sweden).
Gilonne Guigonnat (17/20), in fifth place, also did well, while Paula Botet (16/20), in sixth place, and Voldiya Galmace-Paulin (17/20), in seventh place, were back on track. The day’s top 10 was completed by Célia Henaff (17/20), the first to qualify for the IBU Cup, Fany Bertrand (16/20) and Amandine Mengin (17/20).
Coralie Perrin (20/20), with the only perfect shot of the morning, was eleventh, while Camille Coupé (13/20), who had difficulty standing up, was thirteenth, Maëla Correia (19/20) fourteenth, Sophie Chauveau (12/20) fifteenth, Lisa Siberchicot (16/20) seventeenth and Léonie Jeannier (15/20) nineteenth.
Full results
Officiels-MASS-DAMES- Two sprints and a mass-start in four days: the full programme for the FFS selections in Bessans
- The full list of biathletes invited to take part in the FFS selections in Bessans on 15, 16 and 18 November
- Camille Bened, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Paula Botet, Gilonne Guigonnat, Amandine Mengin and Sophie Chauveau: they will be fighting for two World Cup tickets in Bessans.
- “Three girls will each be able to take a place”: Julia Simon’s suspension means an extra ticket for the World Cup in Östersund
- Seven pre-qualifiers, five places up for grabs: there won’t be many IBU Cup tickets up for grabs at the selections in Bessans from 15 to 18 November.
- “She’s slightly ill”: Lou Jeanmonnot won’t be taking part in the weekend’s FFS selection races in Bessans
- Three tickets for the World Cup, six for the IBU Cup: all the stakes for the FFS selections in Bessans
- Bessans: Bornandin Damien Levet wins the first FFS selection sprint, Valentin Lejeune and Corentin Jacob on the podium
- Sélections FFS de Bessans: the first sprint for Camille Bened, Amandine Mengin and Gilonne Guigonnat follow
- Bessans: the men’s mass-start of the FFS selections for Léo Carlier, untouchable at 20/20
