Biathlon: Anaëlle Bondoux has to be patient
In just a few weeks’ time, the 2025/2026 biathlon season will officially get underway with the FFS selections in Bessans (Savoie), enabling the French staff to complete their squad for the first stages of the IBU Cup. In an ideal world, Anaëlle Bondoux from Dauphiné would have come to this meeting with the legitimate aim of securing a ticket for the B circuit.
Except that the 21-year-old biathlete from GUC Grenoble Ski, as she revealed in our columns in midweek, has had a knee injury for six months now. Anaëlle Bondoux attended the first preparatory training sessions with the French B team and then spent a few days in Bessans (Savoie) in August, before spending September at the Jacques Calvé Centre in Berck (Nord).
“I was given full treatment, with physiotherapy sessions twice a day, muscle strengthening, swimming, balneotherapy… and even surfing at the weekends! This stay was very important for me because it helped me turn things around. Before I left, I hadn’t made any progress in over four months, with pain that changed but remained at the same intensity. I couldn’t see the end of it despite three infiltrations in each knee and all sorts of treatments tried. I regained hope and confidence in the healing process,” she admits. It also did me a lot of good to go so far away, to a different environment. It was important for my mental health to have this clear break. I took it as a spiritual retreat, because I was often alone, and I took some time to think about my future and my ambitions.
“There’s a 90% chance that I’ll wear a race number again in March, but we’re talking about a regional or popular race”.
Even so, there’s still a long way to go forthe reigning world junior relay champion, who has never stopped her shooting training. This period isn’t over,” she says. I have no idea when I’ll be back, but I’ve always been very well supported by the medical staff and my coaches, who are always there for me.
It has to be said that Anaëlle Bondoux is heading for a season without any international competitions. At the moment, I’d say there’s a 90% chance that I’ll be wearing a bib again in March, but we’re just talking about a regional or popular race,” she tells Nordic Magazine. For a higher level, that’s not out of the question, but I can’t say yet.
“It’s important not to put the cart before the horse,” explains Stéphane Bouthiaux.
In any case, one thing is certain for the Iséroise rider: “It’s not really a priority to race this season. I’m still in the rehabilitation phase. After that, there’ll be more reathletisation to do, with basic training followed by specific re-training. Finally, there may be a return to competition,” says Anaëlle Bondoux. All this takes time and I’m not going to rush through the stages. I won’t take part if I’m not in full possession of my abilities.
Stéphane Bouthiaux, director of the French biathlon teams, agrees. We mustn’t put the cart before the horse,” he explains cautiously. For the moment, we’re waiting and we can’t say anything.
Finally, it is possible that the Grenoble native will go for reathletisation at a special centre in December: “It will depend on how the pain develops and the snow conditions back home in the Vercors,” she says.
- One year to the day since her physical problems began, Anaëlle Bondoux tells Nordic Magazine: “It’s been a long time coming and it’s a daily battle to get back to health”.
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- Anaëlle Bondoux calls a halt to her season after the Junior Worlds in Östersund: “I’m going to take the time to rest, recharge my batteries and recover”.
- “Moments we’ll remember forever”: Célia Henaff, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Anaëlle Bondoux and Amandine Mengin, world junior relay champions in Östersund, tell us about their memories
- “It was a complete ordeal, it even crossed my mind to stop racing…”: Anaëlle Bondoux tells Nordic Magazine about her Mass-Start 60 in Östersund, which ended with a silver medal and the small globe…
- Despite rupturing the ulnar collateral ligament in her left thumb, Anaëlle Bondoux will be lining up at the start of the World Junior Championships.
- “I was very reluctant to run”: Anaëlle Bondoux, the European junior sprint title despite illness
- Anaëlle Bondoux talks to Nordic Magazine about the start of her winter spent between the IBU Cup and the Junior Cup: “I’ve been able to get back to enjoying myself by playing up front”.
- Anaëlle Bondoux gives her news a few weeks after suffering concussion: “I’m trying to take it as constructively as possible”.
