Biathlon: the Oberhof World Cup races as seen by Sandrine Bailly
Throughout the winter, a retired biathlete from France will be debriefing the season’s various competitions for Nordic Magazine. Sandrine Bailly, winner of the overall classification in 2005 and 2003 world champion in the pursuit, takes on the task of reviewing the World Cup races in Oberhof (Germany).
Conditions as atypical as ever at Oberhof
“It’s not hard to say, but it’s a great place for that. It’s all very well to say that, but it’s a great site for that, because it pushes the athletes to their limits. There are often big upsets because the conditions are so complicated for the biathletes. And that makes the sport magnificent! What’s more, it was super pretty with the snow. I knew Oberhof like this at the 2005 Worlds, when Raph’ [Raphaël Poirée] and Liv [Grete Poirée] had won everything. It’s magical from time to time. Oberhof pushes you to adapt to extremes and to do things that biathletes are no longer used to. It’s very unsettling for everyone.
Julia Simon back on the podium
“She needed the confrontation and the group to increase her intensity after having been on her own for a long time. There’s nothing like confrontation to progress and break new ground! Now she’s gradually picking up the pieces and getting back to the level we know her at. It’s not really surprising, given her character, that she’s quickly come back into contact with the others.
“Physically, she’s still not the best Julia Simon. You get the feeling that things can be a bit slow. There are some improvements, but they’re not the best times yet. Hanna Oeberg dominated her at the end of the pursuit. There’s still a little room for improvement, but she analyses her situation well, which allows her to adjust. That’s her strength.
Tommaso Giacomel, the emotional sprint/chase double
“The situation was complicated and emotional for him, but despite everything he managed to refocus on his sport and express himself, I think, at his best. He went through a very complicated period in his recovery and, despite everything, he’s in good shape. I hope that all this will enable him to move forward and continue his progression without any setbacks. On top of that, he’s taking the yellow bib from his sick friend [Johan-Olav Botn]. There were a lot of difficult circumstances for him, but he did his duty to the best of his ability. It was really touching to see him win the sprint.
“Like any athlete who wins a race with 14/20, he wasn’t satisfied after the pursuit. But if you look at his rivals’ shots, they’re not necessarily better! It was a bit of a disaster [laughs], except for Dmytro Pidruchnyi who finished seventh with a 19/20 in warrior mode. As far as I’m concerned, what happened with the shooting at Oberhof may put a little doubt in some people’s minds… but we have to move on very quickly. It’s important not to let doubts creep in.
Elvira Oeberg, biathlete of the week
“The girl of the week is Elvira Oeberg! Physically, she’s always very strong at Oberhof, as she was last year. This girl is incredible because she can be in the shade at times, then become powerful and unflappable when she shoots, like last weekend. When it’s like that, she’s just above the rest. She’s still inconsistent, but Oberhof is a site that suits her. I can’t wait to see what happens at Ruhpolding if she keeps up the momentum.
Lou Jeanmonnot without flowers, but still in yellow
“Physically, she wasn’t at her best in the sprint, but she was already better in the pursuit. She’s in a good position, but not at the level she was hoping for. Lou [Jeanmonnot] is a perfectionist and obviously that doesn’t suit her. Now that she’s regularly on the podium, a top 10 finish for her is complicated and not enough. But you have to keep things in perspective: it’s not a major setback. Everything’s going well. She’s not out of sorts physically and she’s in a good position. There’s nothing to worry about. She knows what she’s doing and she’ll be back on track in Ruhpolding in no time.
Half-hearted individual races for Les Bleus
“For the French, even if there is no individual podium, there should be no doubts. There are positive points for everyone. Yes, some things didn’t work out so well for Eric Perrot, who was more under pressure, but that’s not so serious. It’s the little details, like the finish of the relay he lost to [Vetle Sjaastad] Christiansen. All in all, his performance was very good and, above all, he was very well placed in the ski times. For me, that’s the most important thing.
“It was perhaps more complicated for Emilien Jacquelin in each race. He didn’t take the pursuit before missing out on the relay. In Ruhpolding, we’re going to come up with a configuration that suits him better, where you have to pull fast. It’s a very fast loop, where he can play more. Above all, he needs to have fun shooting on this stage. Emilien Jacquelin is the kind of athlete who can be reassured when he arrives in Ruhpolding.
“Quentin [Fillon-Maillet] was average. It’s not great, but like the other French riders, the aim wasn’t to be really good at Oberhof. So there’s nothing to be alarmed about. At a time when the places for the Olympic Games are up for grabs, Oscar [Lombardot] negotiated his pursuit well with a thirteenth place. He scored a lot of points by doing a good job. He’s on a good run.
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet’s good momentum
“For me, she’s in a really good dynamic. Physically, she’s excellent and, when she shoots, I have the impression that she sometimes gets herself into complicated situations only to succeed, with her back to the wall and at the right moment, in sorting everything out. She’s incredible at that. I think she can be satisfied with what she produced at Oberhof. What’s more, she’s not at the front. I have the impression that she doesn’t always manage the light well. Here, she’s a bit hidden, making progress little by little, and that’s a very good thing for her.
The unbearable finish of the men’s relay, finished second by Les Bleus
“The French finished second in an incredible scenario! They were beaten by stronger drivers on the last lap. The most important thing in a stint is to know how to bounce back when a team-mate breaks down. You have to be on top of things at the back, and that’s what they did after Emilien Jacquelin’s miss. I hope that this race is a reflection of this winter and that we’ll find the same configuration at the Olympic Games. Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see what happens there, but France and Norway are the two teams that stand out, and it promises to be a great battle.
Suvi Minkkinen, twice runner-up, leaves a lasting impression
“She’s impressive. We discovered her last year and said she was the revelation of the season. Personally, I was rather sceptical, because I didn’t know if she was going to be able to manage the rest of the season and not just be a flash in the pan. And she didn’t! She was even surprising in the way she came back on Julia [Simon] in the chase, before the last standing shot. She never gave up. She’s 31 years old and an experienced athlete, but she’s going to have to keep up that energy right through to the Olympics. I’m not sure that being too good at the start of January is the right plan.
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