Biathlon: the end of the yellow, red and blue bibs at the World Championships
At the 2023 Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof (Germany) and the 2024 Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), the distinctive World Cup bibs were on show.
Jerseys coloured yellow (overall leader), red (specialities leader) and blue (leader of the best young rider classification) worn even though the World Championships no longer appear in the final countdown to the various World Cup classifications.
If this was the case, it was primarily for marketing reasons. The bibs had in fact been sold by the IBU to sponsors. When the contracts were renegotiated, it was decided, quite logically, to exclude the sale of distinctive World Cup race numbers for the duration of the World Championships.
As newly stipulated in point 12.8 of the IBU’s competition and event regulations, a single distinctive jersey will now be worn at world championships: the (magnificent) gold bib of the reigning world champion crossed out with the words “DEFENDING CHAMPION”.
Julia Simon and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet in gold in Lenzerheide
This legislation puts an end to the one-upmanship of baroque bibs at the World Championships. Last year in the Czech Republic, Johannes Thingnes Boe wore a yellow, red and gold number in the individual and pursuit events, while Julia Simon wore red and gold in the pursuit.
On the slopes of the Roland Arena in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) from 12 to 23 February, the gold bib will be worn by four biathletes: Johannes Thingnes Boe (pursuit, individual, mass start), Sturla Holm Lægreid (sprint), Julia Simon (sprint, pursuit) and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (mass start).
Wearing the gold bib at the Lenzerheide World Championships 🇨🇭
Men
- sprint: Sturla Holm Lægreid 🇳🇴
- pursued by: Johannes Thingnes Boe 🇳🇴
- individual: Johannes Thingnes Boe 🇳🇴
- mass-start: Johannes Thingnes Boe 🇳🇴
Ladies
- sprint: Julia Simon 🇫🇷
- pursued by Julia Simon 🇫🇷
- individual: not carried (Lisa Vittozzi 🇮🇹, reigning world champion, has withdrawn)
- mass-start: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet 🇫🇷
The full programme for the 2025 Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheide 🇨🇭
Wednesday 12 February
- 2.30pm: mixed relay
Friday 14 February
- 3.05pm: women’s 7.5 km sprint
Saturday 15 February
- 3.05pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Sunday 16 February
- 12.05pm: Women’s 10 km pursuit
- 3.05pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
Tuesday 18 February
- 3.05pm: Women’s 15km individual
Wednesday 19 February
- 3.05pm: Men’s 20km individual
Thursday 20 February
- 4.05pm: Mixed singles relay
Saturday 22 February
- 12.05pm: Women’s 4×6 km relay
- 3.05pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
Sunday 23 February
- 1.45pm: women’s 12.5km mass-start
- 4.05pm: men’s 15km mass-start
- The full programme for the 2025 World Championships in Lenzerheide
- Extra quotas for Les Bleues: five Frenchwomen will be able to take part in the sprint, pursuit, individual and mass start events at the World Championships in Lenzerheide.
- First for Océane Michelon and Emilien Claude, the selected managers, the sixth women’s ticket to be awarded: the French selection for the world championships in Lenzerheide.
