Biathlon: several stars absent from the opening mixed relays
Late on Friday, the publication of the official start lists for the mixed events on the opening day of the Biathlon World Cup in Kontiolahti (Finland) offered a number of interesting insights.
The first is that France is playing the game, fielding its best possible teams with Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Julia Simon in the mixed singles relay, followed by Lou Jeanmonnot, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Eric Perrot and Emilien Jacquelin in the mixed relay.
Other nations, however, were less playful. Firstly, Norway decided to rest four of its six top 10 finishers from the last World Cup. Johannes Thingnes Boe, Endre Stroemsheim, Tarjei Boe and Sturla Holm Lægreid will stay in the hotel on Saturday. The same goes for Hanna Oeberg on the Swedish side. She has been unwell for the last few weeks and is taking it easy before the start of the individual races in a few days’ time.
In Germany, Johannes Kuehn will not be racing on Saturday, as will Austria’s Anna Gandler and Estonia’s Tuuli Tomingas. Vosgien Fabien Claude, Gilonne Guigonnat, Jeanne Richard, Sophie Chauveau and Océane Michelon, all victims of the high French numbers, are in the same situation.
The complete start lists
Mixed single relay – 1.15pm
[Local time indicated on the pdf, subtract one hour for French time].
Mixed relay – 3.45pm
[Local time indicated on the pdf, subtract one hour for French time].
- Kontiolahti: start lists for the opening mixed events of the 2024/2025 World Cup
- The full programme for the Kontiolahti World Cup, the first stage of the 2024/2025 season
- Corinne Niogret: my best memory of… Kontiolahti
- The French mixed relays lining up for Saturday’s World Cup opener in Kontiolahti
- Hanna Oeberg withdraws from the Swedish opening races at Idre Fjäll due to illness
