Biathlon: Amandine Mengin on the podium again
Since the start of the world junior biathlon championships in Östersund (Sweden), her very first in her career, Amandine Mengin has not left the podium. Second and silver medallist in the individual and mixed relays, the Vosges native took bronze in the sprint on Sunday.
“I tried to start very strongly on the first lap so as not to lose unnecessary seconds. Then I got to the downhill and that was the shot I was dreading because of the wind at the settings, she reveals. I obviously wanted to go full bore on this first one, so I’m glad I did it, even if I did pitch the tent a bit! When I got up, I missed the first one… I wanted to hold her back too much, but she was outside. On the last lap, I got my head stuck in very difficult conditions with snow that didn’t slide at all.”
Second when she crossed the finish line, Amandine Mengin was then only beaten by Austria’s Anna Andexer, who was impressive on the track and was crowned world champion. Ukrainian Olena Horodna failed to beat the Frenchwoman by 1 sec 1.
“She had number 25 and I had number 20, so I found out in the middle [of the last lap] that she was 4 seconds ahead of me. I’d almost finished my race at that point and I couldn’t accelerate any more. By the time I got there and recovered from my emotions, I didn’t realise at all that she could pass me”, she explains.
What if she won the Junior Cup this Monday?
“This is my third medal, I’m so happy! There isn’t one in gold, but even if they’re not the same colour, they mean the same thing, continued the biathlete from the Massif des Vosges ski committee. In any case, even with one more ball [and a 10/10], I wouldn’t have won this sprint. All the elements would have to be in place to get it.”
This Sunday from 2.40pm, Amandine Mengin will be trying to align these famous planets during the Mass-Start 60, the last individual race of my competition. All the more so as she has taken second place in the overall Junior Cup standings, 51 points behind Italy’s Fabian Carpella.
So, with a big result and an average race from her opponent (such as a win and a place outside the Transalpine’s top 7), the Bressaude would win the big crystal globe.
“I wasn’t aware of it at all because it’s not the sort of thing I pay attention to. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, she says. I didn’t even know it was possible and, more generally, I didn’t even know there were globes when I came here!” Last Thursday, to her great surprise, she lifted the small individual globe .
Scenarios in the battle for the crystal globe in the Women’s Junior Cup
- The full programme for the World Youth and Junior Championships in Östersund
- With Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Amandine Mengin, Gaëtan Paturel and Anaëlle Bondoux: the French team selection for the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Östersund.
- Östersund: despite a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in her left thumb, Anaëlle Bondoux will be lining up at the start of the World Junior Championships
- After a difficult start to the season, Antonin Guy has bounced back to secure his place at the World Youth Championships: “It’s like a reward for all the work we’ve put in since mid-January”.
- “We had to fight right to the end to get this ticket”: how Alice Dusserre qualified for the World Youth Championships in Östersund by the skin of her teeth.
- “I’m going there with the desire to take responsibility for my biathlon”: at the Junior Worlds in Östersund, Corentin Jacob returns to international competition two years after his last selection
- Östersund: Ilona Plechacova individual world youth champion, Lola Bugeaud sixth
- Östersund World Youth Championships: Antonin Guy in individual gold for the second year running, Léo Carlier in bronze
- “A real achievement”, “It feels great”: Antonin Guy and Léo Carlier, gold and bronze medallists in the individual event at the World Youth Championships in Östersund, talk about their race.
- Östersund: Célia Henaff becomes world junior individual champion, silver for Amandine Mengin
- Junior Cup: Bresse’s Amandine Mengin, second in Östersund, wins the individual globe
- Célia Henaff, new world junior individual champion: “A first victory, a first medal, a first 20/20”.
- “I’m really shocked”: Amandine Mengin, silver medallist in the individual event at the Junior Worlds and winner of the small globe, wasn’t expecting this…
- Östersund: Sivert Gerhardsen individual world junior champion, Edgar Geny eighth
- Östersund Youth World Championships: Louise Roguet, Lola Bugeaud, Camille Grataloup-Manissolle and Léo Carlier bronze medallists in the mixed relay won by Norway
- Östersund: despite four penalty laps and a fall, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Amandine Mengin, Gaëtan Paturel and Edgar Geny are runners-up in the junior mixed relay.
- “Even with four laps to go, we’re capable of going for a medal”: the words of Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Amandine Mengin, Gaëtan Paturel and Edgar Geny, silver medallists in the mixed relay at the World Junior Championships.
- Östersund Youth World Championships: Louise Roguet takes silver in the sprint, Norway’s Martine Skog takes gold
- “I tried to be more relaxed on the bench, doing the opposite of the mixed relay where I was so stressed…”. How Louise Roguet picked up the gauntlet to become runner-up in the world junior sprint championship.
- Östersund: Léo Carlier wins silver in the sprint at the Youth World Championships, Germany’s Lukas Tannheimer takes the title
- “I never thought I’d start the World Championships this way”: three medals in three races in Östersund for Léo Carlier, silver in the sprint
- Östersund Junior World Championships: Amandine Mengin takes bronze in the sprint, the title goes to Austria’s Anna Andexer
- Östersund: Norway’s Haavard Tosterud world junior sprint champion, Axel Garnier ninth
