Biathlon: time for the women’s sprint in Östersund
After a one-day break, the Biathlon World Cup in Östersund (Sweden) resumes on Friday with a women’s sprint. Scheduled to start at 16:00, it will be launched by Austria’s Anna Gandler, who inherited bib number 1 in the draw.
The first starters include Lisa Vittozzi from bib 2 , followed by Polona Klemencic (4), Maya Cloetens (5), Johanna Skottheim (6), Pascale Paradis (7), Camille Bened (8), Ukaleq Slettemark (12), Tuuli Tomingas (14) and Janina Hettich-Walz (15).
The blue group will be made up of Samuela Comola (16), Natalia Sidorowicz (18), Venla Lehtonen (19), Lena Haecki-Gross (20), Lea Meier (21), Vanessa Voigt (22), Paulina Batovska Fialkova (24), Ragnhild Femsteinevik (25), Tereza Vobornikova (26), Amy Baserga (28), Lotte Lie (30), Anna Magnusson (32), Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (34), Marketa Davidova (35), Ella Halvarsson (36), Anamarija Lampic (38), Michela Carrara (39), Aita Gasparin (40) and Baiba Bendika (41).
In the red group of favourites, watch closely for the successive starts of Lisa Theresa Hauser (42), Hanna Oeberg (44), Julia Tannheimer (45), Jeanne Richard (46), Karoline Knotten (48), Lou Jeanmonnot (50), the yellow bib Dorothea Wierer (52), the red bib Franziska Preuss (54), Gilonne Guigonnat (55), Océane Michelon (56), Marthe Kraakstad Johansen (57), the blue bib Maren Kirkeeide (58), Anastasiya Kuzmina (59), Selina Grotian (60), Milena Todorova (62), Marlene Fichtner (63), Suvi Minkkinen (64), Elvira Oeberg (66), Sara Andersson (67) and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (68).
Among the last bibs, we’ll be keeping an eye on Lena Repinc (70), Anastasiya Merkushyna (73), Anna Weidel (76), Marit Oeygard (77), Amandine Mengin (79), Hannah Auchentaller (80), Sonja Leinamo (82), Susan Kuelm (85), Lydia Mettler (87), Shawna Pendry (97), Lucinda Anderson (98), Chloé Dupont (100), Darcie Morton (103) and Marisa Emonts (104).
The complete start list
Women’s sprint – 16:00
C51A_v1-3- 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)
- Point 15.6.3.c. of the IBU regulations: why can the French women’s team field seven biathletes in Östersund?
- Östersund: in the opening individual race, Lou Jeanmonnot will wear the red bib, Franziska Preuss the yellow jersey
- Östersund: Dorothea Wierer triumphs in the individual event ahead of Sonja Leinamo and Camille Bened, who takes her first solo podium finish
- Östersund: five years on, Dorothea Wierer dons the yellow bib again
- “It’s the fruit of a lot of hard work”: an emotional Camille Bened talks about her third place in the Östersund individual event
- “I had to be extra vigilant all the time”: Camille Bened reveals why she took the (winning) gamble of having her left shoulder operated on last April
- 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: Camille Bened became the eleventh Frenchwoman to finish on an individual World Cup podium since the start of the 2022/2023 season.
- “I feel like I’m dreaming”: an unexpected first podium for Sonja Leinamo
- Maya Cloetens, sixth in the Östersund individual, takes part in her first World Cup flower ceremony: “It’s just crazy, I don’t realise it yet”.
- “I’m taking my toll with every lap”: twenty-ninth in the first race of the winter in Östersund, Franziska Preuss worries about her fitness
- Ahead of the first individual race of the winter, Eric Perrot told Nordic Magazine : “I feel really ready to take part in the general classification”.
- Östersund: Johan-Olav Botn takes his first World Cup win by winning the individual, Eric Perrot best Frenchman
- Östersund: Johan-Olav Botn takes the yellow bib for the first time in his career
- “I’m in seventh heaven”: Johan-Olav Botn, who was ill at the start of the week, ran the perfect race in Östersund.
- “The aim was really not to panic”: this was the strategy put in place by Siegfried Mazet, which enabled the Norwegians to shine collectively in the individual race in Östersund.
- “Everything went really well”: Sebastian Samuelsson on the podium, Jesper Nelin in a strong sixth place, the Swedes get their season off to a perfect start in Östersund
- “We’re where we should be”: a tricky first individual race for the French team, far from the podium in Östersund
