Biathlon : Johannes Dale-Skjevdal and the Norwegians have not lost their good habits
A few hours after France’s fantastic performances and Amandine Mengin’s victory in the women’s sprint at theIBU Cup in Arber (Germany), it was the turn of the men’s biathletes to take to the track for the first time in 2025 in theantechamber to the World Cup.
And just as the French dominated, with five of their women making it into the day’s top 6 , it was the Norwegians who reigned supreme in the men’s event. Alone in the world at this level for several seasons now, the Scandinavians once again proved that they are the boss on this circuit.
Since his arrival following his downgrading and his World Cup run, Johannes Dale-Skjevdal has left very little room for his rivals. Aware of the efforts he needs to make to try and regain his place in the top tier, the 27-year-old biathlete once again put in his best performance on Thursday.
Despite twice being at fault against the targets, the native of Lørenskog (Norway) did not collapse on his skis to claim the final victory. Best time of the day on the boards, the triple world medallist made the difference to win ahead of four of his team-mates.
Indeed, behind him, his compatriots did their rivals no favours either. Sivert Guttorm Bakken scored one of the rare 10/10s of the day to take second place at the finish ahead of Sverre Dahlen Aspenes, who scored 8/10 on the mats.
Isak Frey (8/10) and Vetle Paulsen (9/10) also finished in the top five , leaving just one place available for the flower ceremony. Italian Daniele Cappellari (9/10) took sixth place, less than two seconds ahead of an excellent Arnaud Du Pasquier. Having switched from cross-country skiing to biathlon two seasons ago, the Swiss shone with a solid 9/10 to record his best career result at this stage.
Gaëtan Paturel still in good form on skis, back in the top 10
He left the circuit in great shape on skis, and the end-of-year festivities don’t seem to have played a bad trick on Gaëtan Paturel. Seventh fastest time of the day on the boards, the Frenchman put in the best French performance of the sprint. Ninth in the rankings, the Haut-Savoyard confirmed his excellent start to the winter season by coming very close to another flowers ceremony.
In his discovery of the IBU Cup after racing in the Junior Cup in December, Edgar Geny came very close to the top 20. With a solid 9/10, the Montblanc native finished his effort in a very good twenty-fourth place. Just behind him, his compatriot Rémi Broutier (8/10) finished twenty-fifth.
With two faults behind the rifle, Axel Garnier took thirty-second place, while Jacques Jefferies, making his return to this circuit, crossed the line in forty-fourth place after making four mistakes on the mats. It was a race to forget for Théo Guiraud-Poillot (5/10), who finished seventy-third on the day.
- Arber: Amandine Mengin triumphs in the sprint on her IBU Cup debut, Sophie Chauveau on the podium, five Frenchwomen in the top 6
- The full programme for the IBU Cup in Arber, the fourth stage of the 2024/2025 winter season
- Oscar Lombardot absent, Sophie Chauveau and Gilonne Guigonnat present: eight Frenchmen already selected for the IBU Cup in Arber
- “I hope to return as soon as possible”: affected by compartment syndrome, Oscar Lombardot receives botulic acid injections
- Amandine Mengin, Louise Roguet, Rémi Broutier, Edgar Geny and Jacques Jefferies complete the French squad for the IBU Cup in Arber
- The reaction of 18-year-old Louise Roguet from Haut-Savoie after her first selection for the IBU Cup: “I’m going there without any pressure, with the aim of trying to do the same biathlon as in the French Cup.
- “I’ve made a lot of progress and I’m proud of myself”: this week, Amandine Mengin from Bresse will be taking part in her first IBU Cup in Arber.
