Biathlon: incredible suspense in the women’s sprint at Oslo-Holmenkollen
Sometimes everything hangs by a thread. This Friday afternoon, Franziska Preuss and Lou Jeanmonnot demonstrated this magnificently in the women’s sprint of the 2024/2025 Biathlon World Cup finals. Under the setting sun ofOslo-Holmenkollen (Norway), the two best biathletes of the season put on a show of rare intensity in this time trial format.
The German, wearing the yellow and red bib, started with the n°42, while the Frenchwoman had the n°48 on her jersey. This small gap allowed spectators and television viewers to watch the battle for the big globe just a few minutes apart. All those present were able to watch Franziska Preuss and Lou Jeanmonnot clear all five targets, both standing and lying.
With the two great ladies of winter moving at more or less the same speed on cross-country skis, the final lap proved decisive. After her last run on the mats, 5.5 seconds behind her rival, the well-informed Frenchwoman shifted into overdrive to make up time: 2.7 seconds ahead at km 5.9, then 2.3 seconds ahead at km 6.9. In the final 600 metres, Lou Jeanmonnot continued to accelerate… until she was just 2 tenths of a second off the time set by Franziska Preuss, the big winner of this Oslo sprint.
Suvi Minkkinen on the podium with the two winter queens
In fact, the German from Ruhpolding (Germany) pulled off a superb triple coup: winning the day’s race, winning the little crystal globe in the sprint and increasing her overall lead . Thanks to these 2 tenths of a second, her lead in the general standings actually increased from 20 to 35 points with two races to go. This improbable scenario puts Franziska Preuss back in the favourite’s position to lift the big globe on Sunday afternoon.
On the third step of the podium, the two stars of the year were joined by Finland’s Suvi Minkkinen (10/10), 21.9 seconds from victory. Norway’s Ida Lien (10/10), Savoyard Julia Simon (10/10) and Switzerland’s Amy Baserga (10/10) rounded off the top 6 and took part in the day’s flower ceremony in front of the grandstand at the Holmenkollen stadium.
Camille Bened thirteenth and third Frenchwoman of the day in her big debut
Camille Bened (9/10), in the lead after the first shot, finished thirteenth in her first World Cup start. Jeanne Richard (9/10) was sixteenth, Océane Michelon (8/10) eighteenth, Paula Botet (9/10) thirty-third, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (6/10) fortieth and Sophie Chauveau (9/10) forty-ninth.
Vosgienne Amandine Mengin (8/10), in sixty-fourth place, will not be taking part in the pursuit and sees her Oslo adventure come to a premature end.
𝗟𝗘 𝗗𝗨𝗘𝗟 𝗗𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 👑
The final battle for the big crystal globe between Lou Jeanmonnot 🇫🇷 and Franziska Preuss 🇩🇪 today turned in favour of the German by 2 hundredths!
Despite a full race, our Frenchwoman finished 2️⃣e of the Oslo sprint 🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/Tscdag4FU9– FFS – Fédération Française de Ski (@FedFranceSki) March 21, 2025
Live data from sprints
Full results
- The full programme for the Oslo-Holmenkollen World Cup, the ninth and final stage of the 2024/2025 season
- Oslo-Holmenkollen World Cup: the full programme for the presentation of the crystal globes
- Corinne Niogret: my best memory of… Oslo-Holmenkollen
- Firsts for Camille Bened and Amandine Mengin, the boys’ sevens: the French team selection for the Oslo-Holmenkollen World Cup finals
- “I want to show myself at my best”: how Camille Bened approached her first steps on the World Cup sprint circuit in Oslo-Holmenkollen
- Chloé Bened’s pride after her older sister Camille Bened won the IBU Cup overall and was selected for the World Cup: “She’s our star, our champion, our idol”.
- Amandine Mengin on the eve of her World Cup debut in Oslo-Holmenkollen: “I have no idea why my season has taken such a turn for the worse…”.
- “She’ll remember this season for the rest of her life”: long-time friend and team-mate Maëla Correia talks about Amandine Mengin, who is about to discover the World Cup in Oslo-Holmenkollen.
- “Help them to repeat what they have done so far”: what Cyril Burdet expects from Camille Bened and Amandine Mengin at their first World Cup in Oslo-Holmenkollen.
- “The small sprint globe is up for grabs”: in addition to the overall podium, Emilien Jacquelin will be going for the crystal in Oslo-Holmenkollen.
- Race for the big crystal globe: the sprint in the Oslo-Holmenkollen finals, a decisive stage in Lou Jeanmonnot’s quest
- Oslo-Holmenkollen: Johannes Thingnes Boe, king in front of his home crowd, wins the last sprint of his career, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Emilien Claude in the top 10
- Oslo-Holmenkollen: Johannes Thingnes Boe wins the small globe in the sprint, the fourth of his career
- “I felt my left leg shaking…”. how Emilien Jacquelin explains his cracking standing shot in the Oslo-Holmenkollen sprint
- “I’m still very upset”: Eric Perrot angry at the IBU’s decision not to reverse the sprint start list
- Oslo-Holmenkollen: the French men’s team triumphs at the Nations Cup for the first time in its history
- Oslo-Holmenkollen: the photo album of the French men’s team with the Nations Cup crystal globe
