Biathlon: Les Bleus give their opinion on the Loop One Festival
On Sunday, the first Loop One Festival in Munich (Germany) will see France’s Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Eric Perrot and Quentin Fillon-Maillet attempt to claim a prestigious victory in the Bavarian Olympic Park.
On Wednesday, at an online press conference held by the French biathlon team and attended by Nordic Magazine , they agreed to give their opinions on this new show to launch the Olympic season.
Fabien Claude: “It takes away the two preparatory races for the Summer Tour de La Féclaz”.
“We’ll see what happens [laughs]! It’s a very demanding format with super sprints. For us, and all the other nations, it doesn’t necessarily come at the best time. We’re all going to go out there and play the game to try and win the race, but the first step will be to get through the qualifying round because there will only be fifteen athletes in the final. The heat will last around ten minutes, it’s going to be a show in town, we don’t know the wind conditions, the mats, etc.”
“There are a lot of things that don’t resemble the World Cup, so it’s always a bit frustrating to come along for just 10 minutes of racing and see your mates make the final. We have a laugh about it around the table, but if all four of us make the final, that’ll be great! We’re hoping that the IBU’s gamble will attract a good crowd and be a success, but it will take away the two preparatory races for the Summer Tour at La Féclaz. It’s a shame to test it in an Olympic year.
Emilien Jacquelin: “The IBU was too hasty in scheduling this event in an Olympic year”.
“On the one hand, I’m delighted that the IBU is finally developing summer biathlon. We all agree that it will surely be the logical next step for our sport in a few years’ time. We don’t know when, but it will happen sooner or later. We’re lucky to have a telegenic sport, whether it’s on snow or asphalt. On the other hand, the IBU was too hasty in putting this event in an Olympic year.
“We athletes are almost forced to come along for perhaps just ten minutes or so of racing. It’s not ideal in terms of preparation, but I understand the desire to try it. Personally, I have the impression that I’m a bit far away from that. I owe it to myself to go as an athlete, but I’m not setting myself any objectives or any real desire to perform, even though it’s an opportunity to put a number back on my back and work on technical aspects of the race.
Quentin Fillon-Maillet: “The shooting exercise will be very interesting”.
“We haven’t prepared for the event at all, so we’ll be going into it a little blunt, but I want to do well. The format is a bit different from usual, but the shooting exercise will be very interesting. I think it’s interesting that the IBU is putting on this show.
Eric Perrot: “It’s not ideal from a physiological and training point of view”.
“Overall, this show is a chance for biathlon to promote itself! That’s the main objective of this show. We’re at the start of an Olympic season and we know that the Olympic Games are a real showcase for our sport and the point of a competition like this, in a big city like Munich, Germany, is to continue to promote biathlon to the general public by bringing together all the best athletes.”
“It’s still a show, but I rather like shows! These races are a change from winter, but they’re still great exercises. For the athletes and the public, it’s always a good time, a real game. I enjoy it, but let’s face it, it’s not ideal from a physiological and training point of view because there’s a lot of transport involved.
The programme for the Loop One Festival in Munich 🇩🇪
Saturday 18th October
- 10.30am-10.50am: seated shooting trials
- 10.50am-11.10am: standing shooting trials and visually impaired people
- 11.15 am: Para biathlon single seated mixed relay
- 11.55am: Para biathlon single mixed relay for the visually impaired
- 12.35pm: men’s para biathlon standing mass start
- 3.15pm-3.45pm: Young men’s and women’s shooting trials
- 16:00: young men’s mass-start
- 16:30: young women’s mass-start
- 17:00: Para-biathlon and youth prize-giving ceremonies
Sunday 19 October
- 10:20-10:50: Men’s shooting trials
- 11.00: Men’s super sprint qualifying heat 1
- 11.20am: Men’s super sprint qualifying heat 2
- 11.40am: Men’s super sprint qualifying heat no. 3
- 12.00: Men’s super sprint qualifying heat no. 4
- 12.20pm-12.50pm: Women’s shooting trials
- 13:00: Ladies’ super sprint qualifying heat 1
- 1.20pm: Women’s super sprint qualifying heat 2
- 1.40pm: Women’s super sprint qualifying heat no. 3
- 2.00 pm: women’s super sprint qualifying heat no. 4
- 3.42pm: men’s super sprint final
- 4.23pm: Women’s super sprint final
- 5.00 pm: men’s and women’s prize-giving ceremony
- The full programme of the Loop One Festival in Munich, the show organised by the IBU to open the 2025/2026 season.
- TV rights: Munich’s Loop One Festival broadcast on France Télévisions’ digital channels
- The IBU launches the Loop One Festival, the opening event of the 2025/2026 season in Munich
- “Stéphane Bouthiaux regrets the late announcement of the Loop One Festival, the IBU’s urban showcase at the start of the season.
- The IBU’s urban show at the start of the season has changed the Summer Tour schedule: the first stage will take place in Arçon in September, the second in La Féclaz in October.
- France has nine quotas for the Loop One Festival, an urban show organised by the IBU on 19 October in Munich.
- The crème de la crème: the names of the nine French riders selected for the Loop One Festival, the season-opening show organised by the IBU in Munich.
- The Summer Tour of La Féclaz rather than the Loop One Festival in Munich for Justine Braisaz-Bouchet
- Germany with Franziska Preuss, Justus Strelow, Selina Grotian and Janina Hettich-Walz for the Loop One Festival, Vanessa Voigt absent
- Great Britain with Shawna Pendry and Matthew Chronicle at the Loop One Festival in Munich
- “They’re going there to give it their all”: Karl Tabouret and Benjamin Daviet at the start of the Loop One Festival in Munich on 18 October
- Tendinitis, illness: France’s Benjamin Daviet and Karl Tabouret forced to withdraw from Loop One Festival
- Loop One Festival: Belgium with Maya Cloetens, Florent Claude, Lotte Lie and Thierry Langer
- Finland, led by Suvi Minkkinen, six for the Loop One Festival
- Loop One Festival: Italy in Munich with Lisa Vittozzi, Tommaso Giacomel and Dorothea Wierer
- Loop One Festival: the Czech Republic without Marketa Davidova, but with Tereza Vobornikova, Michal Krcmar and Vitezslav Hornig
- Australia represented at Munich’s Loop One Festival
- Munich: Slovenia with Anamarija Lampic, but without Jakov Fak for the Loop One Festival
- Loop One Festival: Sweden selects Ella Halvarsson and Martin Ponsiluoma, the Oeberg sisters and Sebastian Samuelson stay home
- Loop One Festival: three Americans take part in Munich show, no Canadians
- Without Sebastian Stalder and Niklas Hartweg, with Lena Haecki-Gross: Switzerland’s selection for the Loop One Festival
- Loop One Festival: Austria led by Simon Eder and Lisa Theresa Hauser, Anna Gandler also selected
- Maren Kirkeeide, Sturla Holm Lægreid, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, Martin Uldal or Karoline Knotten: Norway with its best at Loop One Festival
- The Norwegians will be flying by helicopter from the Lavazè Pass to Munich and back to take part in the Loop One Festival.
- Loop One Festival: still unable to shoot standing up after hand surgery, Franziska Preuss cancels Munich show
- Dorothea Wierer also withdraws from Loop One Festival
- Three Estonians, two Lithuanians, no Latvians: the Baltic countries’ selections for the Loop One Festival
- Loop One Festival: Greenland at the Munich show with Ukaleq Slettemark
- Loop One Festival in Munich: France guaranteed to have a biathlete in both the men’s and women’s finals
- Photo album: Munich’s Olympic Park prepares to host the Loop One Festival
- Format, penalty round, course, distance, rules: how the super sprint at Munich’s Loop One Festival will work
