Biathlon: France on course for a grand slam?
Since the start of the 2025 Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) on Wednesday, a Frenchman has stood on each of the five podiums set up at the foot of the huge grandstand in the Roland Arena.
First there was the mixed relay title won by Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot, Eric Perrot and Emilien Jacquelin. Then Justine Braisaz-Bouchet won gold in the sprint, while Quentin Fillon-Maillet from the Jura took bronze. In the pursuit, Eric Perrot and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet won bronze.
With five medals – two in gold, three in bronze – the French team sits at the top of the medals table after five out of twelve events. Above all, it is the only nation to have been rewarded in every race contested. So a grand slam is still possible.
The record number of medals, dating back to 2024, is thirteen.
Stéphane Bouthiaux, the head of French biathlon, is understandably delighted with his initial results. “When you get the championship off to a good start like we did with the mixed relay, and do it in style, it gives everyone confidence and, after that, it’s all over, he told La Chaîne L’Equipe late on Sunday afternoon. […] We’re not immune from seeing others on the podium.”
In the second week, it has to be said that Julia Simon, Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Océane Michelon, Jeanne Richard and Lou Jeanmonnot, who have not won any individual medals so far, will be looking to get their share of the cake… not forgetting the relays. Starting on Tuesday in the women’s individual event, Doubs-based Lou Jeanmonnot, unbeaten this winter in the format, will be the favourite for gold.
Last but not least, the record number of medals won by France in a world championship dates back to last year: in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), thirteen podium finishes, including six victories, were achieved. Only eight more to go to make up for this exceptional vintage.
Medal table update
| # | Country | 🥇 | 🥈 | 🥉 | Total | |
| 1 | France 🇫🇷 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 2 | Norway 🇳🇴 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 3 | Germany 🇩🇪 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 4 | United States 🇺🇸 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 5 | Czech Republic 🇨🇿 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 | Sweden 🇸🇪 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Finland 🇫🇮 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
- The full programme for the World Championships in Lenzerheide, the highlight of the 2024/2025 season
- Léna Arnaud: my best memory of… Lenzerheide
- Swiss biathlete Arnaud Du Pasquier presents the Roland Arena, the Lenzerheide stadium used for the 2025 World Championships
- Delphyne Burlet on the challenges of the Lenzerheide world championships
- “We decided to follow the sporting logic”: Stéphane Bouthiaux explains how the French mixed relay team for the World Championships in Lenzerheide was put together.
- Quentin Fillon-Maillet annoyed at being sidelined in the mixed relay at the world championships in Lenzerheide: “I thought I deserved more consideration from the staff”.
- Lenzerheide: France, with Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot, Eric Perrot and Emilien Jacquelin, retain their world mixed relay title
- “We couldn’t have got off to a better start than this”: the perfect start for the French team, which won gold in the mixed relay at the world championships in Lenzerheide.
- “I don’t feel like I made a mistake”: Julia Simon recounts her collision with Sweden’s Anna Magnusson during the mixed relay in Lenzerheide
- Julia Simon and Sebastian Samuelsson crash, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Hanna Oeberg fail to shoot: an opening mixed relay full of twists and turns in Lenzerheide
- “It was fun”: during the mixed relay at the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Britain’s Shawna Pendry was surprised to ski with her idol Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold.
- Dorothea Wierer supports Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold after the Norwegian was insulted on social networks
- Lenzerheide: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet’s day of glory, crowned world sprint champion ahead of Franziska Preuss and Suvi Minkkinen
- “The wheel turns”: how Justine Braisaz-Bouchet became world sprint champion in Lenzerheide after a difficult January
- Lenzerheide: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet’s photo album with her gold medal in the sprint at the World Championships
- “Ten years on, Franziska Preuss has won her second individual world medal in the sprint at Lenzerheide.
- “She really believed in her chances”: in the Lenzerheide sprint, Suvi Minkkinen became the third Finn to win a world medal
- “I’m a fighter, I won’t give up”: assures Lena Haecki-Gross, who came very close to winning a medal on home soil in the sprint at the World Championships.
- “Sometimes you just have to let go”: Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, who struggled at the World Championships in Lenzerheide, broke down in tears after the sprint.
- “I’m very proud”: Maya Cloetens tells Nordic Magazine how she made Belgian biathlon history by finishing eighth in the sprint at the Lenzerheide World Championships.
- The quest for a first individual world title: why this could be the right year for Quentin Fillon-Maillet, who starts the Lenzerheide sprint this Saturday.
- Lenzerheide: Johannes Thingnes Boe crushes the sprint to win a fourth world gold medal in the discipline, Quentin Fillon-Maillet gets a tan
- Lenzerheide: Johannes Thingnes Boe wins the sprint to become the most gold medal-winning biathlete in the history of the World Championships
- “I’m going to miss that feeling of being the best in the world”: Johannes Thingnes Boe continues to make history by winning the sprint at his last World Championships
- “Winning a first medal feels great”: bronze in the Lenzerheide sprint, Quentin Fillon-Maillet kicks off his World Championships in style
- “I feel really lucky”: at 22, Campbell Wright entered the big leagues by winning silver in the sprint at the World Championships.
- Lenzerheide: “I’m not going to spit on this race”: on the World Championships sprint, Tommaso Giacomel was reassured after the mixed relay
- Lenzerheide: the Swedes look grim after their unsuccessful sprint at the Worlds
- Lenzerheide: who is Sean Benson, who finished last in the sprint?
- Lenzerheide: Julia Simon, a golden opportunity to make World Championship history by winning the pursuit for the third time in a row
- “Everything still has to be done”: Florent Claude, a sprint in Lenzerheide finishing in 17th place that leaves you wanting more
- 65th in the Lenzerheide sprint, Gaia Brunello achieved Brazil’s best result at the Worlds: “A dream come true”.
- Lenzerheide: Dorothea Wierer withdraws from the World Championship chase
- Lenzerheide: untouchable at 20/20, Franziska Preuss wins the world pursuit title, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet takes bronze
- In the pursuit at Lenzerheide, Franziska Preuss won her first world title: “I can’t believe it”.
- Lenzerheide: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet’s photo album with her bronze medal in the pursuit at the World Championships
- “I was three metres too short”. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet was close to silver in the pursuit at the world championships in Lenzerheide.
- “I’ve been waiting for this for a while”: Elvira Oeberg won her first ever individual world medal in the pursuit at Lenzerheide.
- “It was really difficult, but I’m proud of myself”: a final shot that cost Lena Haecki-Gross dearly in the World Championships pursuit
- “I can hear Justine [Braisaz-Bouchet] sending her ball into the scenery”: the careless error that cost Lou Jeanmonnot a medal in the pursuit at Lenzerheide
- Two-time title holder Julia Simon loses her World Pursuit Championship crown in Lenzerheide: “I missed my shot”.
- Lenzerheide: Johannes Thingnes Boe pursuit world champion ahead of the astonishing Campbell Wright, Eric Perrot in bronze
- The greatest of all time: gold in the pursuit at Lenzerheide, Johannes Thingnes Boe is the most successful individual biathlete in history
- “I feel completely drained”: to win his twelfth individual gold medal at the World Championships, Johannes Thingnes Boe worked hard in Lenzerheide
- Lenzerheide: Eric Perrot, the eleventh French medallist in an individual World Championship race
- “I had to fill it up and I filled it up”: how Eric Perrot climbed twelve places to win bronze in the pursuit at the World Championships in Lenzerheide
- Lenzerheide: Eric Perrot’s photo album with his bronze medal in the pursuit at the World Championships
- “He’s very impressive”: close to an incredible comeback over Johannes Thingnes Boe in the pursuit, Campbell Wright impressed all the Norwegians at the World Championships in Lenzerheide.
- Lenzerheide: what do they say about Campbell Wright’s exploits in New Zealand?
- “He had to change his shooting line because of a mistake by another biathlete”: why did the jury reclassify Jakov Fak in sixth place in the pursuit at the World Championships in Lenzerheide?
- Lenzerheide: Sturla Holm Lægreid just off the podium despite 20/20 marks
