Biathlon: France four… then six
For once, the French men’s biathlon team will start the 2024/2025 World Cup… with a reduced squad of four. Unlike the women’s team, which will have seven members in Kontiolahti (Finland), Les Bleus are currently lacking in numbers at the highest international level.
That’s why the coaching staff decided to go to Finland with just Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Eric Perrot and Fabien Claude.
The other reason is the calendar. It only includes team events (mixed relays on Saturday, gender relays on Sunday) on the first weekend of the World Cup. This schedule means that France can afford to come to North Karelia with, initially, four athletes.
At the same time, the schedule includes two IBU Cup sprints at Idre Fjäll (Sweden). The coaching staff have therefore decided to make selections for the final two World Cup places on these B circuit events. It’s a different decision from last winter, when the selections were made in France, at Bessans (Savoie).
The two athletes who will complete the group soon to be announced
From Saturday afternoon, the two best French biathletes in the IBU Cup will be heading for Kontiolahti (Finland) in the company of Stéphane Bouthiaux, director of the French biathlon teams. As a result, there will be six of the French team starting on Sunday morning and, above all, for the Finnish individual events: an individual short is scheduled for Tuesday, a sprint on Friday and a mass-start on Sunday.
It now remains to be seen which of Antonin Guigonnat, Emilien Claude and Oscar Lombardot, who are all well ahead of the competition, will be lucky enough to take part.
- Kontiolahti: no surprises in the French squad for the first stage of the World Cup
- The last two men’s World Cup places will be decided in the sprints at the IBU Cup in Idre Fjäll
- IBU Cup in Idre Fjäll: the great battle for the last two French men’s World Cup places in Kontiolahti gets underway
- Antonin Guigonnat and Emilien Claude get off to a good start, with Oscar Lombardot in ambush: the first sprint at Idre Fjäll provides a wealth of lessons in the race for the World Cup.
