Biathlon: Maëla Correia to discover the Junior Cup
Last winter, Bressaude Maëla Correia came very close to qualifying for the world junior championships in Östersund (Sweden). Legitimately disappointed, the woman who had to contend with mononucleosis in the summer of 2024 made up for it a few weeks later by becoming French U22 pursuit champion.
This year, qualification for the Junior Cup has become a real objective for the Vosges Elite Ski Team biathlete, who has never contested a single international race. It was last weekend, at the French Cup in Bessans (Savoie), that the first tickets were decided.
“The week before, I was quite stressed because it was one of my big goals of the season. I knew I could do it and I wanted to go for it,” she told Nordic Magazine. But she missed out in the sprint, finishing at 7/10 and in tenth place among the girls competing for the Junior Cup.
“I was really disappointed with my sprint. I got a slap in the face (sic) because I was so far back. When I crossed the finish line, I was really disappointed with myself. The shooting had gone well the week before, but you can never take it for granted. I really took a beating,” she repeats. I shed a few tears.
Back on track with her coaches
After a difficult hour replaying her unusual three errors in the prone shot, Maëla Correia quickly managed to get back on track. ” The coaches [Ambroise Meunier and Léo Ponceot, editor’s note] came to see me and reassured me, and we came away with a lot of positives from the race,” she says.
“I’ve always been a good shot and that hasn’t always been the case in skiing. This time, I was able to play with those in front in cross-country skiing, which showed me that it was possible,” she explains. So I quickly got back into the swing of things, telling myself that nothing was lost. I’m proud of myself for not giving up and finally winning this selection. I’m really pleased with myself!
“The aim will be to get good places while enjoying myself”.
Maëla Correia simply dominated the Sunday mass-start on her own after scoring a 19/20 on the mats. Her success means that she has now qualified for the Junior Cup and the resort of Goms (Switzerland), where she will be performing next week.
“I’m delighted to finally be selected. It’s the first time I’ve been away, so it’s going to be really good and really rewarding to see what’s being done outside France,” enthuses Amandine Mengin‘s club team-mate. The aim will be to gain as much experience as possible and do the best biathlon I can without getting carried away. In terms of results, I have no idea what the outcome will be, but the aim will be to get good places while enjoying myself.
And for the first time, she was dressed in a French team jumpsuit. ” I hope this will be the first of many,” concludes Maëla Correia.
- The French team selection for the Junior Cup in Goms
- Coupe de France de Bessans: Bressaude Maëla Correia triumphs in the mass start
- “I’ve really had an all-round summer”: second in the U21 pursuit at the Summer Tour d’Arçon, Maëla Correia from Bresse talks about her progress
- “At the start of the season, I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to finish…”. After a summer marked by mononucleosis, Maëla Correia became French U22 pursuit champion
- “She’ll remember this season for the rest of her life”: long-time friend and team-mate Maëla Correia talks about Amandine Mengin, who is about to discover the World Cup in Oslo-Holmenkollen.
