Biathlon: one year after winning the YOG title, Czech Ilona Plechacova becomes individual world youth champion
The Youth Biathlon World Championships in Östersund (Sweden) kicked off on Wednesday with the individual U19 women’s race. In the 10km race at the very start of the afternoon, it was the Czech Ilona Plechacova who dominated the proceedings. Despite a score of 17/20, she won the gold medal by far the fastest time on cross-country skis.
A member of the Czech relay last Saturday at the World Championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), Ilona Plechacova, one year after winning the format at the Youth Olympic Games, is the second biathlete from her country to become world youth champion. The first was Veronika Vitkova, who also won the individual event at Presque Isle (USA) in 2006.
On the podium, she was joined by Italy’s Carlotta Gautero (18/20), silver at 47 sec 5, and Slovenia’s Manca Caserman (17/20), bronze at 54 sec 9 one breath ahead of Poland’s Amelia Liszka (19/20). Valerie Krizova (18/20), another Czech, was fifth, whileFrance’s Lola Bugeaud (17/20), sixth, completed the flower ceremony.
Louise Roguet (18/20), Norway’s Martine Skog (17/20), Denmark’s surprising Leonora Roenhede (17/20) and Alice Dusserre (18/20) rounded off the day’s top 10. Coralie Perrin (17/20), the last French competitor, was seventeenth. Sweden’s Elsa Taenglander (11/20) came in forty-sixth, after struggling on the shooting range.
Full results
- The full programme for the World Youth and Junior Championships in Östersund
- With Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Amandine Mengin, Gaëtan Paturel and Anaëlle Bondoux: the French team selection for the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Östersund.
- Östersund: despite a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in her left thumb, Anaëlle Bondoux will be lining up at the start of the World Junior Championships
- After a difficult start to the season, Antonin Guy has bounced back to secure his place at the World Youth Championships: “It’s like a reward for all the work we’ve put in since mid-January”.
- “We had to fight right to the end to get this ticket”: how Alice Dusserre qualified for the World Youth Championships in Östersund by the skin of her teeth.
- “I’m going there with the desire to take responsibility for my biathlon”: at the Junior Worlds in Östersund, Corentin Jacob returns to international competition two years after his last selection
