Biathlon: a double for Anna-Karin Heijdenberg in Obertilliach, a podium for Paula Botet
To round offthe first stage of the 2025/2026 IBU Biathlon Cup in Obertilliach (Austria), pursuits were contested on Sunday. At the end of the morning, it was the women who got the ball rolling.
Sweden’s Anna-Karin Heijdenberg (18/20), who dominated the sprint the day before, won again. A fast skier, the wearer of the green leader’s bib missed just two targets to secure an easy solo victory that should enable her to return to the World Cup next week in Hochfilzen (Austria).
Norway’s Frida Dokken (19/20), fourteenth at the start, made the biggest comeback of the day to take second place at 13.4 seconds.
The podium was completed by Paula Botet (18/20) from Bresse. Once again on fire on the cross-country track, the Vosges native scored a 5/5 to save the day in the last upright before overtaking Juni Arnekleiv (19/20) in the final round to take third place.
Sweden’s Emma Nilsson (19/20) and Italy’s Rebecca Passler (17/20) rounded off the flower ceremony ahead of Siri Skar (18/20), Monika Hojnisz-Starega (19/20), Julia Kink (18/20) and Sophia Schneider (17/20), the last member of the top 10.
The French team includes Sophie Chauveau (15/20) in eleventh place, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin (16/20) in fifteenth, Louise Roguet (18/20) in twenty-third, Célia Henaff (15/20) in twenty-seventh and Fany Bertrand (14/20) in thirty-third.
Full results
C73D_v1The overall IBU Cup standings
C78B_v1-8The overall ranking for the pursuit
C78A_v1-8- The full programme for the IBU Cup in Obertilliach, the first stage of the 2025/2026 B circuit season
- Fany Bertrand, Damien Levet, Valentin Lejeune, Célia Henaff, Corentin Jacob and Louise Roguet selected: the full list of French players selected for the IBU Cup in Obertilliach
- “I immediately want to race 100%”: selected for his very first IBU Cup, Corentin Jacob from the Vosges is ambitious.
- Brilliantly qualified for the IBU Cup after the Bessans selections, Célia Henaff wants to establish herself there: “Make my place and prove what I can do on this circuit”.
- “I want to try and get rid of all the pressure”: almost a year after her first appearance in the IBU Cup, Louise Roguet is back, better equipped to shine.
- Before the IBU Cup in Obertilliach, Paula Botet, Louise Roguet and Fany Bertrand prepare in Bessans
- Obertilliach: Paula Botet dominates the opening sprint of the IBU Cup, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin third ahead of Fany Bertrand
- IBU Cup in Obertilliach: Johannes Dale-Skjevdal crushes the sprint, Oscar Lombardot starts the winter with a podium finish
- IBU Cup Obertilliach: second sprint for Sweden’s Anna-Karin Heijdenberg, Fany Bertrand fourth and best French rider
- Obertilliach: Johannes Dale-Skjevdal wins the sprint again, Valentin Lejeune, for the first time in the IBU Cup, and Oscar Lombardot on the podium
