Biathlon: Johan-Olav Botn wins in yellow, Quentin Fillon-Maillet on the podium
The first sprint of the season, and an Olympic one at that, is always an eagerly awaited event for all the World Cup biathletes. On Saturday afternoon, in the Swedish night ofÖstersund (Sweden), 98 biathletes lined up at the start of this first men’s truth event of the winter.
Held in wintry conditions, with falling snow and cold temperatures, this sprint proved that Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn is currently the best biathlete on the planet. Already the winner of the individual race last Wednesday, the Scandinavian once again impressed everyone in his first outing wearing the legendary yellow bib.
On the kingdom’s biathlete’s broad shoulders, the sometimes heavy jersey didn’t seem to weigh too much. Johan-Olav Botn, 25, continued his fine form on the shooting range: after the 10/10 in the mixed relay and the 20/20 in the individual, he shot all ten targets on the day. Equally solid on the cross-country track, this gave him a second consecutive victory, 11 sec 1 ahead of his compatriot Martin Uldal (10/10).
Quentin Fillon-Maillet’s 60th career podium
On the third step of the podium was Quentin Fillon-Maillet from the Jura. Reconciled with his previously tricky prone shot,he scored 10/10 to complete the day’s top 3, 14 sec 3 behind the winner. For the Grandvallier, this Olympic season – four years after the best year of his life – got off to a great start… with a 60th career podium in the process.
Sturla Holm Lægreid (9/10), Sebastian Samuelsson (9/10) and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen (10/10) rounded out the XXL flower ceremony. For France, Eric Perrot (9/10) is in the top 10, in ninth place.
The afternoon was more difficult for the other French riders: Antonin Guigonnat (8/10) was twenty-ninth, Fabien Claude (6/10) forty-first and Emilien Jacquelin (6/10) forty-second. Bassurois Emilien Claude had to withdraw from the race due to illness.
Full results
C73B_v1-5- The full programme for the Östersund World Cup, the first stage of the 2025/2026 season
- Caroline Colombo: my best memory of… Österusnd
- “When it performs, it creates momentum”: the relays on the opening weekend of the World Cup in Östersund, important events to get the French team on the right track
- Östersund: Jeanne Richard, Océane Michelon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Lou Jeanmonnot dominate the women’s relay, the first race of the winter season
- “It’s a great team effort”: on their first outing of the winter in Östersund, Les Bleues have already won the World Cup
- Östersund: France’s Fabien Claude, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Emilien Jacquelin and Eric Perrot second in the relay won by Norway
- “A good relay in tempo”: behind the Norwegians in the Östersund relay, the French get their winter off to a good start
- “There’s this desire to go for the greatest medal of all”: beaten by Norway in the first relay of the season, Les Bleus have their sights set on Olympic gold
- Östersund: Sweden win the mixed singles relay ahead of Norway, Fabien Claude and Camille Bened third for France
- “It’s important in a career”: Camille Bened takes her first World Cup relay podium finish in the mixed singles relay in Östersund
- “It’s wonderful to see her so happy and fulfilled”: former biathlete Chloé Bened reacts emotionally to her older sister Camille Bened’s first World Cup podium finish.
- Östersund: Emilien Jacquelin, Eric Perrot, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Lou Jeanmonnot win the mixed relay for France
- Östersund World Cup: Corinne Niogret’s debrief (relays)
- Östersund: Dorothea Wierer triumphs in the individual event ahead of Sonja Leinamo and Camille Bened, who takes her first solo podium finish
- “It’s the fruit of a lot of hard work”: an emotional Camille Bened talks about her third place in the Östersund individual event
- Camille Bened as told by her first coach Martin Bouchet after her podium finish in Östersund: “She was already a great fighter who never gave up”.
- Östersund: Johan-Olav Botn takes his first World Cup win by winning the individual, Eric Perrot best Frenchman
- “I’m in seventh heaven”: Johan-Olav Botn, who was ill at the start of the week, ran the perfect race in Östersund.
- “We’re where we should be”: a tricky first individual race for the French team, far from the podium in Östersund
- Östersund: Océane Michelon third in the sprint, victory for Finland’s Suvi Minkkinen ahead of Anna Magnusson
- Östersund: winner of the sprint, Suvi Minkkinen takes the yellow bib as World Cup leader
- Suvi Minkkinen, winner of her first World Cup victory in the Östersund sprint: “It’s incredible”.
- “It’s a great day for me”: 993 days later, Anna Magnusson is back on a World Cup podium in Östersund.
- The pride of Océane Michelon, scorer of her first World Cup 10/10 to finish on the podium in the Östersund sprint: “I went all the way”.
