Biathlon: Camille Bened’s fine performance in the race for the big globe in the IBU Cup
On Sunday morning, the final day of the penultimate stage of the 2024/2025 IBU Biathlon Cup got underway in Otepää (Estonia) with the women’s mass-start 60. In this 12km race, it was the astonishing Czech Kristyna Otcovska (20/20) who took the laurels of victory.
At the age of 24, the native of Most (Czech Republic), who will compete in the mass start of the World University Games in Lake Placid (USA) in 2023, won the first victory of her career on the B circuit. Kristyna Otcovska’s only full shot in a final five-girl shoot gave her the lead and she went on to win solo.
Behind her came the Patrouille de France. Paula Botet (17/20), after a difficult start to the race, came to life in the standing shots to climb back up to second place, 15.5 seconds behind the winner. Third-placed Camille Bened (18/20) missed the last shot of her race, but consoled herself by widening the gap in the overall standings and winning the small globe in the mass-start.
Voldiya Galmace-Paulin loses ground in the race for the big globe
At the foot of the podium, there was also some red-white-and-blue with Gilonne Guigonnat (18/20) fourth and Voldiya Galmace-Paulin (16/20), who made an exceptional comeback in the final laps, fifth. With two races to go, she is now 76 points behind Camille Bened in the overall standings.
Austrian Lara Wagner (18/20) completed the flower ceremony. Fany Bertrand (16/20), the other French rider in the race, took sixteenth place.
Full results
The overall IBU Cup standings
The final general classification of the IBU Cup mass-start
- The full programme for the first IBU Cup in Otepää, the eighth stage of the 2024/2025 B circuit season
- A first for Antonin Delsol, Fany Bertrand returns: France unveils its first selection for the IBU Cup in Otepää
- Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Célia Henaff, Edgar Geny and Gaëtan Paturel complete the French squad for the IBU Cup in Otepää
- Otepää: second IBU Cup success of the winter for Gilonne Guigonnat, winner of the sprint
- IBU Cup Otepää: Isak Frey dominates the sprint ahead of Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen and Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, Damien Levet top 10
- IBU Cup Otepää: two days after the sprint, Gilonne Guigonnat wins the pursuit ahead of Camille Bened, Paula Botet and Fany Bertrand with the flowers
- IBU Cup: Camille Bened wins the crystal globe in the pursuit, taking over from Océane Michelon
- Otepää: Johan-Olav Botn wins the last IBU Cup pursuit of the winter, Damien Levet and Théo Guiraud-Poillot in the top 10
- Isak Frey secures the big crystal globe at the 2024/2025 IBU Cup
