Biathlon : An irremediable gap between Lou Jeanmonnot and Suvi Minkkinen in the overall standings?
Unlike Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide (3rd overall) and Sweden’s Hanna and Elvira Oeberg (4th and 5th), Suvi Minkkinen did not skip the Nove Mesto stage. Second overall in the World Cup, the Finn had the opportunity to extend her lead over her rivals in the Czech Republic.
As for the yellow bib(which she wore for two races in Östersund and Hochfilzen), the task is far more difficult. After the individual short on Friday 23 January, she is 192 points behind Lou Jeanmonnot, which represents more than two victories. With eight individual races still to be contested between now and the end of the season, the Frenchwoman’s cushion of victory looks thick (barring illness).
Far from his usual shooting statistics
Her latest result was 22nd place in the individual short in Nove Mesto. A long way from 2nd place for her French rival. She only managed one perfect shot during her four passages in front of the targets, and made four errors, including three on her standing shot. In 13th place for skiing, she conceded a 2 min 15 min penalty compared to the first two.
The individual format has not suited Suvi Minkkinen this season. In the first race at the start of the season in Östersund (Sweden), she already made four mistakes against the targets. A rarity for a biathlete who this season has a 93% success rate in the prone and 90% in the standing.
- The full programme for the Nove Mesto World Cup, the sixth stage of the 2025/2026 season
- Nove Mesto: Eric Perrot and Emilien Jacquelin do the double in the individual short, Oscar Lombardot and Emilien Claude in the flowers
- Nove Mesto: excellent overall result for Eric Perrot, who moves back to within 23 points of Tommaso Giacomel
- Eric Perrot smiles broadly after dominating the individual short in Nove Mesto: “It’s very satisfying to be back on the winning track”.
- “This performance comes at just the right time”: Emilien Jacquelin’s thoughts after his second place in the individual short at the Nove Mesto World Cup
- Oscar Lombardot and Emilien Claude: “It’s a real pleasure” and “I hung in there”, a top 6 that comes just at the right time before the 2026 Olympic Games.
- “The worst race of my career”: Sebastian Samuelsson, a big miss and a bad deal in the individual race in Nove Mesto
- Almost four years later, Lukas Hofer is back on the World Cup podium in Nove Mesto: “I’m very happy to have persevered”.
- 0/5 on the last shot, Endre Stroemsheim’s terrible crack on the individual short in Nove Mesto
- Nove Mesto: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet wins the individual race just one breath ahead of Lou Jeanmonnot
- Nove Mesto: on the podium in the individual short, Lou Jeanmonnot now has a lead of more than two victories over Suvi Minkkinen in the overall standings.
- Siri Skar seventh and revelation of the Nove Mesto individual short: “It’s completely crazy”.
- “It’s a win-win situation”: Lou Jeanmonnot finishes 2nd in the individual short in Nove Mesto
