Biathlon: Léo Carlier, the man who never lost at the Sommer Tour
The series now stretches to eight races. In fact, it’s been two years since Mortuacian biathlete Léo Carlier lost a race on the Summer Tour biathlon circuit. He scored a quadruple win in the U19 category last year, and has done it again in recent weeks in Arçon (Doubs) and then La Féclaz (Savoie), this time in the U21 category.
I wasn’t particularly expecting it as I’ve changed category,” he tells Nordic Magazine. I’m with the big boys and I knew it was going to be a bit harder than last year. What’s more, I hadn’t really reassured myself about the intensities before Arçon, so I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. It was going well, but not enough to win the sprint and the three races after that.
The sprint in Doubles, which finished eighth overall, was a real wake-up call for Léo Carlier: “Since then, I’ve been feeling better and better and that’s when I said to myself that maybe I could win the [other] races. I felt more confident, so after that it was a little easier.
“I don’t go to the Summer Tours backwards at all, they’re really races that I enjoy”.
Logically crowned French U21 summer biathlon champion, the biathlete from Ski club du Val de Morteau is trying to explain his insolent success in summer races.
“Every time, I really want to put my number back on and race. I’m having a lot of fun on skis and behind the rifle at the time,” he says. I don’t go to the Summer Tours backwards at all, they’re really races that I enjoy, with the large crowds and the good weather. I think that helps me a lot to have great races.
In fact, during the pursuits, Léo Carlier was able to rub shoulders for the first time with the top names in French biathlon.
We weren’t chasing them at U19 level,” he explains. At Arçon, I’d already been able to fight with the guys, but here at La Féclaz, I was really playing for a good place with the best. It was really cool and rewarding to see that I wasn’t that far behind. In the end, I came second in the sprint, narrowly beating Gaëtan Paturel.
IBU Cup target in November, but…
While he is understandably pleased to have won another gold medal as French champion, Léo Carlier is cautious and has no plans for the future. It’s mainly preparation for this winter,” he says. Whether I win the four races or not, it’s not going to affect my season and we’re going to have to be good in winter, from November onwards.
Taking part in the selections in Bessans (Savoie) from 15 to 18 November, the 19-year-old from the Franc-Comtois region will be hoping to secure a place in the IBU Cup.
If I do the same races again, I might do it,” he says. After that, I know that the guys in the French B team will be more keen on these races. But if everything lines up, why not hope to make some good selections for the IBU Cup?
Despite this, Léo Carlier cites the World Junior Championships in Arber (Germany) as his main objective for the winter. I’m not saying no to the IBU Cup, which would be great and would give me the ideal start to the winter,” he repeats, “but if I don’t go there, there’s always the junior circuit.
- “It’s good to be back competing like this”: Léo Carlier on his victory in the U21 sprint at the Summer Tour d’Arçon
- Doubles for Emilien Jacquelin, Lou Jeanmonnot, Martin Minazzi, Léo Carlier and Lana Moreira: the full Summer Tour d’Arçon prize list
- Léo Carlier, Rosalie Odile, Victor Lainé, Louise Roguet, Martin Minazzi and Lana Moreira crowned: the final rankings of the 2025 French summer biathlon championships
- “Incredible World Championships”: Léo Carlier looks back on his World Youth Championships in Östersund, where he won five medals, including two golds, in five races.
