Biathlon: a first gold medal at the World University Games for Noémie Remonnay
Early on Tuesday afternoon, biathlete Noémie Remonnay shone at the Pragelato venue in Italy. On a stadium where Florence Baverel and Vincent Defrasne were crowned Olympic champions in February 2006, the Doubiste native also won a fine gold medal.
On the first day of the Turin 2025 World University Games, the member of the Oye-et-Pallet club won the individual short. “I’m happy with my race because I came here with the aim of setting things right on the shooting range. It’s been a bit complicated since the start of the winter. So the aim was to shoot well and to get the job done with my shooting and skiing. I’m pleased with that because I managed to put both together,” she told Nordic Magazine.
Noémie Remonnay‘s race plan for this 12.5km long format was not to be held back.
“So I did a pretty strong first lap, then I filled up on the first run and came out behind Amélie Broutier who had just started, and that helped me a lot, she recalls. We battled it out the whole race, which was really interesting. In the shooting, you need to be calm to get things down. I managed to stay focused right to the end!”
A decisive last standing shot
This was particularly true of the last standing shot, synonymous with her fourth and final run on the mats. At that point, Noémie Remonnay knew she had all the cards in her hand to shine.
“If I missed, it was going to be hot, and if I put them in, I was going to be well placed, she explains. I tried to put all that aside and just do things the way I know how to do them on my feet. I was quite composed, serene, calm and clear-headed.”
With a score of 5/5 and an overall score of 18/20, the Franc-Comtoise took the laurels of victory. It’s a fine piece of revenge for a biathlete who wasn’t included in the federal teams in the spring despite some fine performances in the IBU Cup, and who failed to break into the B circuit this winter.
“I’ve had good difficulties on the shooting range since the start of the season and that hasn’t allowed me to go and play up front for the IBU Cup selections, she regrets. So I’m using these races [at the World University Games] to enjoy myself again and build up my confidence on the shooting range. I think it will help me in the future to rebuild things and get back to biathlon at 100%.”
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- Turin: Noémie Remonnay wins the individual short event at the World University Games
