Biathlon: the secrets of Lou-Anne Dupont Ballet-Baz
A member of the next generation of French women’s biathlon alongside her great friend Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, 19-year-old Haut-Savoyarde Lou-Anne Dupont Ballet-Baz joined the new Excellence 2030 federal group set up by the FFS for juniors at the end of spring.
Twice fourth at the World Youth Championships in Otepää (Estonia) last winter, the biathlete from La Clusaz (Haute-Savoie) is one of the best French athletes of her age. Now coached by Rachel Demangeat and Claire Breton, she will be looking to establish herself on the international junior circuit this season.
Lou-Anne Dupont Ballet-Baz agreed to talk at length to Nordic Magazine about all these issues. Interview.
- How did you learn of your selection for the Excellence 2030 group?
Personally, I wasn’t expecting anything because there hadn’t been a junior group for two years. So I applied to join the Haute-Savoie Nordic Team, especially as we hadn’t heard anything. We thought we’d had enough and then, one Monday at school at lunchtime, Voldiya [Galmace-Paulin] got a phone call. She told me that it was Claire [Breton] who had told her about the creation of a small group of ten biathletes. As she hadn’t called me, I thought I was separated from her. Fifteen minutes later, my phone rang with Claire Breton’s name on it! She told me the same thing, but that nothing was done yet and that I shouldn’t talk about it or get carried away.
- Since then, the official creation of this collective has been recorded: what does it mean for you to be part of a federal group?
It’s a bit more prestigious than a training group in a committee or a team. I’m obviously happy because things have moved on and something has been put in place for us! It’s an opportunity and we’re really lucky compared to the two years before. It was an opportunity not to be missed!
- Especially as you’ll be staying with your good friend Voldiya Galmace-Paulin…
Yes [laughs]! I didn’t want to be separated from Voldiya [Galmace-Paulin] , as I said in my review, but it’s even better than I’d hoped! We’re in a Fédé group and we’re all together. What’s more, it fits in well with Eva [Laine] and Célia [Henaff], the other two members of our collective.
- Where did you spend your summer training?
We started the courses in Prémanon in the last week of May, then we went back in June, just before my A-levels, which I passed. Then we met up again in July, again at Prémanon, but with Group B as well as our own. In August, we had a course at Font-Romeu, then another at Prémanon before the Summer Tour in September, and another, again at the CNSNMM, last week.
- The resources at your disposal are very good, with lots of training days and two coaches, Claire Breton and Rachel Demangeat, for ten athletes…
The good thing, above all, is that there really is a coach for physical training [Rachel Demangeat] and one for shooting [Claire Breton]. On the committee, that wasn’t the case, so it changes a lot of things. They each have their own area of expertise, and they know their field very well, which means they can bring a lot of things to the athletes. We have a lot of support too, with a physical trainer, physiotherapists, a dietician and mental preparation.
- Do you feel you’ve made any progress in recent months?
Compared to a year ago, it’s not the same at all! I’ve made a lot of progress, especially with my skiing. We did a lot of weight training to build up our athleticism, which helped me hold on to my skis. It’s nothing like that! As for my shooting, I’ve also made good progress thanks to the big blocks I made on the courses. At home, we did less shooting, which makes it easier to feel mentally at ease on the shooting range.
- As Stéphane Bouthiaux, director of the French biathlon teams,told us, the aim of the Excellence 2030 group is to encourage emulation.
I hadn’t trained with boys for four years! It’s good because they have a different view of things and we talk a lot. We’re a pretty open group where we can talk about anything and everything. As far as women are concerned, the four of us pull each other up and we complement each other quite well!
- At the start of the winter, will your aim be to secure your place in the IBU Cup or will you concentrate on qualifying for the Junior Cup, the circuit for your age group?
It’s not that I don’t think I’ll qualify for the IBU Cup, but there won’t be many places up for grabs[three, editor’s note] and there are a lot of people above me. I also feel that it’s not really my place because I haven’t done many Junior Cup races yet. So my first objective will be to do these races to see where I am on snow after the Summer Tour. After that, the aim will be to be really present at the opening French Cup in Bessans, where I’ll be aiming for a place in the Junior Cup. I’d like it to kick-start my season like the last one, but better if possible[she was ill in Pokljuka and had to leave the group after just one race, editor’s note]. I’ve got a little revenge on my hands!
- “Everyone understands the need to look after young people of this age”: Stéphane Bouthiaux’s satisfaction at the rebirth of the French junior team with the Excellence 2030 group.
- “The idea is to make this system sustainable,” explains Pierre Mignerey, FFS National Technical Director, on the creation of the Excellence 2030 group.
- The full composition of the Excellence 2030 group for the 2024/2025 season
- Lou-Anne Dupont Ballet-Baz looks back on her season, which included a Junior Cup and the World Youth Championships: “I’ve realised that you can’t afford to rest on your laurels and that you have to keep moving forward”.