Anaïs Bescond’ debrief
Biathlon: Anaïs Bescond’s view of the Kontiolahti World Cup
Throughout the winter, a retired biathlete from France will be debriefing the season’s various competitions for Nordic Magazine. Anaïs Bescond, the 2018 Olympic champion in the mixed relay, takes the opportunity to look back at the World Cup in Kontiolahti (Finland).
A fine collective start from the French, but…
“I can’t say that I thought they were going to start the winter in this way, but rather that I hoped they would and that I felt the guys were capable of doing it. They really surprised me in a good way from the opening relay where they did a great race. In the individual competitions, there are some for whom it’s a good fit and that’s really cool, while others need to be inspired by what they’ve done in the relay to shine in the individual races too. They know how to do it, but don’t always show it! They have all the keys to do it all the time, and that’s the great strength of their opponents.”

A generally lacklustre start to the winter for French leaders Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Lou Jeanmonnot
“We expected our three top players to break everything right from the start. It’s as if they got their feet tangled up a bit at the start because they weren’t where they belonged. In spite of everything, there were some good things happening at some point during the week for everyone. Lou [Jeanmonnot], for example, won and took the yellow bib, but she lost it straight away when she missed two standing shots… It’s not disappointment, but I expect better and more from them because they have everything they need to do well! I really want this to be the winter when things go really well. After that, it’s only the first stage and there’s still time for things to settle down.”

“On the relay, Julia [Simon] gave me a real fright with the cramp in her left calf. I know how top athletes work… They always want to run and they’re capable of hurting themselves. Knowing her character, Julia [Simon] in particular. I was afraid she’d gone as far as to injure herself, and health is very important.”
A very high-level sprint for Emilien Jacquelin
“It was really good, well constructed and powerful. We hadn’t seen Emilien [Jacquelin] at that level for some time. We knew he was capable of it, he’d already shown some great things and he’s often capable of surpassing himself in direct confrontation because it galvanises him. To see him run such a race in the sprint is crazy! I had the impression that he was driven by something in that race. I thought he was driven by something, something that wasn’t necessarily palpable and that we didn’t know about him in this type of time trial format.”

The next generation of Les Bleues is here
“It’s a very encouraging first step for the new generation, which includes Jeanne Richard, Océane Michelon and Gilonne Guigonnat. I didn’t see the youngsters doing so well! I thought they would first get their bearings on the World Cup, which is often how it works. There’s a great up-and-coming generation, and they’re there. They may seem a bit headstrong, but they’ve got their heads in the right place at race time and they’re doing great things. Physically, they’re there and that’s a great feeling.”

The mass-start and the yellow bib for Eric Perrot
“He held his race from start to finish, taking his place in the right groups at the beginning of the race. We hardly saw him on the air before he took the lead after the first standing shot. He needs to develop as a biathlete capable of taking part in a general classification and this race fits into that framework. When we heard that the rules for the blue jersey were changing, we thought it was a shame that he wouldn’t be able to wear it any more, but in fact he’s got the shoulders to wear another jersey, the yellow one! What I think is really great is that he’s putting himself in a good position for the whole winter.”

“I’ve never done it in my career, but to get a taste of yellow and see that you’ve got what it takes to wear it from the start of the season without having overplayed your hand is great. To have it after three races also shows that he’s been consistent by being well placed in the individual short, doing well in the sprint and then winning this mass-start. It’s a great reward in itself! We’ll see how he performs with it. Having the shoulders is good, but you also have to have the head and I think he’s got all that. I’m not going to praise him, but I think he’s a stable lad with good values. He has what it takes to become a great biathlete.”
Sophie Chauveau in trouble
“I think she’s still finding her feet. Even though she’s gained some good experience over the last two years, she still needs to stabilise her shooting and her emotions. She’s still a work in progress. For the moment, she’s making her mark as the fourth girl in the relay, but she’s still got some things to work on in terms of her shooting and individual skills. Despite everything, I’ve really noticed the differences on the mat compared to before, but it’s still a work in progress.”

Quentin Fillon-Maillet returns to the podium
“Since Beijing 2022, we’ve seen Quentin [Fillon-Maillet] struggle in many cases. He’s been looking for himself and he proved in this race that his level hasn’t disappeared. His last shot and his last lap were built and present! While Eric [Perrot] needs to reveal himself, Quentin [Fillon-Maillet] needs to find himself. This race can act as a trigger and, sometimes, that’s how it works in biathlon. He just needs to keep at it to confirm. After that, I don’t think he has anything left to prove, but he needs to rediscover what made him the man for winter 2021/2022. That’s starting to happen and we need to look beyond the week in Hochfilzen, towards the Games in Milan/Cortina 2026. That’s already tomorrow and this winter will enable him to get all the elements of his biathlon back on track.”

The Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold scare
“It’s surprising coming from Norway, a nation known for paying close attention to the health of its biathletes. It was a really good decision not to let her race on Sunday and to send her back to Norway for further tests. It’s too important an issue. The question is whether these are just anxiety attacks that need to be repositioned mentally or whether there really is a physical problem. Whatever the case, it needs to be taken into account and treated.”

Norwegians in a tough spot?
“They’re good, but our guys winning the relay was really good to show everyone that it wasn’t just the Norwegians. The stats on their past relay victories are frightening, so it was good to win! Having said that, they’re here and we have to reckon with them. However, they have problems with their wealth and that puts pressure on them. They know that some of them are going to jump, but not who or how… They are in the top 10 and, to beat this armada, you have to be at your best. I think that’s what drives the French. By way of comparison, it was the presence of Johannes Thingnes Boe that pushed Martin Fourcade to constantly improve and become the biathlete he is today. So I think it’s a positive emulation and not seeing them as untouchable guys. They’re fallible and we’re good at what we do.”

The beautiful impression left by Elvira Oeberg
“She made her mark because she’s really in form. We’re used to seeing the Swedes super-strong at the start of the season, and that proved true once again. However, I’m still convinced that the French haven’t yet shown what they’ve got under their feet in Kontiolahti after completing their preparation at altitude. I’m waiting to see Elvira [Oeberg] in Hochfilzen! I don’t want to make any plans for the whole winter.”

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- Nordic Magazine is once again working with a team of experts to bring you the 2024/2025 season.
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