Biathlon: an early IBU Cup triumph for Paula Botet
The 2025/2026IBU Cup biathlon season could not have got off to a better start for the French women’s team. On Thursday morning in Obertilliach (Austria), Paula Botet from Bresse dominated the first sprint of the winter season. Starting with bib no. 28, the biathlete from the Vosges posted a 10/10 on the mats and was supersonic on the boards.
Unbeatable and untouchable by her 124 rivals, she won the IBU Cup for the fourth time in her career. On the first three occasions, in Pokljuka (Slovenia), Geilo (Norway) and Idre Fjäll (Sweden), she also won the sprint, and already with a 100% shot.
With this victory, Paula Botet also takes on the brand new green bib of IBU Cup overall leader, which she will wear for the first time on Saturday for the second Austrian sprint of the week.
Voldiya Galmace-Paulin third, Fany Bertrand fourth, Sophie Chauveau eighth
On the podium, the winner of the World Cup sprint in Oberhof (Germany) last January must have thought for a long time that she was being followed by her compatriot and friend FanyBertrand, who also scored 10/10.
Starting in the middle of the field with bib number 72, the biathlete from Méribel (Savoie), who left the federal groups in the spring, actually came out of the shooting range in second place. However, she broke down physically in the final hectometres and had to settle for fourth place (+52 sec 8).
Moldova’s Alina Stremous (10/10) came second at 44 sec 2, while Montblanc’s Voldiya Galmace-Paulin (9/10) was third at 50 sec 8, climbing onto the podium in her first outing of the winter.
Behind Fany Bertrand, it was Sweden’s Anna-Karin Heijdenberg (8/10) and Italy’s Rebecca Passler (9/10), more than a minute behind, who entered the flower ceremony. Siri Skar (9/10), Bornandine Sophie Chauveau (8/10), Lara Wagner (8/10) and Juni Arnekleiv (8/10) rounded out the top 10.
Further back, we find Célia Henaff (8/10) in twentieth place and Louise Roguet (7/10) fifty-second. The Franc-Comtoise Coralie Langel (10/10) finished thirty-fourth in her first international race with Switzerland.
Germany in dire straits
Elsewhere, we should mention the forty-fifth place of Denmark’s Anne Bunemann de Besche (9/10), the fifty-sixth place of Sweden’s Elsa Taenglander (7/10), the sixty-sixth place of Croatia’s Iva Moric (7/10) and the eighty-fourth place of Brazil’s Gaia Brunello (7/10).
Lastly, the Germans, who were already struggling in the World Cup, were not reassured as Stefanie Scherer (9/10) was nineteenth, Charlotte Gallbronner (10/10) was twenty-fourth, Julia Kink (6/10) thirty-ninth, Sophia Schneider (6/10) forty-first and Johanna Puff (8/10) fiftieth.
Full results
C73B_v1The overall IBU Cup standings
C78B_v1-2The overall sprint ranking
C78A_v1-2- The full programme for the IBU Cup in Obertilliach, the first stage of the 2025/2026 B circuit season
- Fany Bertrand, Damien Levet, Valentin Lejeune, Célia Henaff, Corentin Jacob and Louise Roguet selected: the full list of French players selected for the IBU Cup in Obertilliach
- “I immediately want to race 100%”: selected for his very first IBU Cup, Corentin Jacob from the Vosges is ambitious.
- Brilliantly qualified for the IBU Cup after the Bessans selections, Célia Henaff wants to establish herself there: “Make my place and prove what I can do on this circuit”.
- “I want to try and get rid of all the pressure”: almost a year after her first appearance in the IBU Cup, Louise Roguet is back, better equipped to shine.
- Before the IBU Cup in Obertilliach, Paula Botet, Louise Roguet and Fany Bertrand prepare in Bessans
- “The approach we adopted proved to be the right one”: this season, the IBU Cup will once again not be broadcast.
- The new IBU Cup overall leader’s bib will be… green!
