Biathlon: Corinne Niogret’s view of the individual races at the Östersund World Cup
Throughout the winter, a retired biathlete from France will be debriefing the season’s various competitions for Nordic Magazine. Corinne Niogret, Olympic relay champion in 1992 and individual world champion in 2000, takes on the task of reviewing the individual events at the World Cup in Östersund (Sweden).
The overall picture: new faces and rising French stars
“In general, I think we’re seeing new faces and that’s good. At the start of the season, we started with just a few names, and now we’ve got a whole bunch of countries involved in the flower ceremonies. It may not last, but it’s good to see new faces.
“For the French, it also shows that nothing can be taken for granted and that the others have worked hard. They’re not at 100%, but things are going to pick up little by little, crescendo. In spite of everything, they’re here, even though I don’t think the objective for the year is to be ready for the first stage of the winter. It’s good to know that you’re up to speed, and that’s the case, even if there are adjustments to be made… like for a lot of other nations! Some are just a little further ahead, but the French have shown that they can be on the podium.
The revelation Camille Bened
“Her first race, the relay, was stressful for her, but it did her good. After that, she did her biathlon like she knows how. We weren’t used to seeing that because she wasn’t in the World Cup, but she did a good biathlon. She did a podium, a flower ceremony and another race in the top 15. It was a really good week.
“We know the level of the French women, so if she was there, it’s because she had the level. Just because she had surgery in the spring doesn’t mean she’s lost her bearings or her biathlon. We knew she was capable of good biathlon. There was no reason why that should have prevented her from rediscovering that. I’m not surprised, but it’s a new head that’s growing strong”.
The victorious pursuit of Quentin Fillon-Maillet, who changed his prone shot
“In the pursuit, he was in the thick of things and in the big group that was going for victory on the last shot. He’s the only one who makes the 5/5 and, bang, it’s a slam! You have to be clear-headed to keep your concentration and make the perfect shot. And it pays off! It seems that with what he’s been working on with Jean-Pierre [Amat], he’s regained some feeling on the downhill, which is not bad. When you start a race with two or three mistakes, it’s an immediate blow to morale.
“It’s better to win at the start of the season like he did than to be twentieth, that’s for sure! If you finish in a good position, you’re reassured, but if you win, you prove that you’re still here and that what you’ve done is good. Despite everything, you have to keep working to stay ahead. In biathlon, nothing can be taken for granted. As we all know, you have to reset the clock at every race.
“Prone shooting is a technical shot, while standing is an instinctive shot. We all have our own way of doing things: some shoot by breathing in, others by breathing out. By doing things too mechanically, you lose that focus. Sometimes it helps to refocus on a single thing, a single thought – breathing. It’s a single anchor point that makes it work. I hope it lasts!
Dorothea Wierer and Lisa Theresa Hauser, the circuit’s grannies put up a fight
“Dorothea Wierer has announced that this will be her last season, and we have no doubt that she is not yet at her best, because she wants to shine at the Olympic Games back home. But she’s already there! It’s been a while since she’s been at this level on skis. After that, it’s a bit difficult to judge where she really stands in relation to the competition, because with the Olympics coming up, we don’t know everyone’s real form. We don’t know who’s at 100%, 90% or 80% of their ability…”.
“While I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Lisa [Theresa Hauser] win an individual race, it’s more of a surprise to see her win a pursuit. Despite everything, she’s strong everywhere, especially in explosive formats like mixed relays. She has that ability and she proved it in that last lap! I didn’t think she’d come back, and she’s doing it to win… After that, we don’t know if it’s really her who’s coming back or if [Suvi] Minkkinen is taking a big shine. It’s probably a bit of both, and it’s good to see that the old-timers are putting up a bit of a fight!”
Johan-Olav Botn’s impressive individual/sprint double
“It’s not a foregone conclusion! He made his first podium in the sprint at Soldier Hollow two seasons ago. We knew he had great cross-country skiing ability, like all Norwegians. In shooting, when everything lines up, it creates sparks. He’s a hard worker who’s already 26 years old. He’s not some young prodigy who just came along at the drop of a dice. This guy has worked hard”.
“A guy like him or like [Martin] Uldal isn’t going to the Games at the moment. They’re already geared up to win their selection and go to the Olympics. That’s their dream and they need to be there to be one of the four who will be racing in Antholz. Even if he wins the first two races, it’s not certain that he’ll be at the Olympics!
Suvi Minkkinen, Östersund’s boss
“Last year, she was on the podiums and, at some point, she was going to win. So it’s not surprising that she won one! The whole Finnish team isn’t too bad either, as [Sonja] Leinamo came second in the individual, much to her surprise. The group is on the right track! We knew [Suvi] Minkkinen was capable of winning, we just had to do it.
“When you see the chase, you say to yourself that it’s physically that her progression can happen. She wasn’t able to finish the job, being caught by [Lisa Theresa] Hauser. Her shooting, on the other hand, looks OK. But there’s a limit to that, because there were no windy conditions at the shooting range, as can sometimes happen in Östersund.
Eric Perrot without a podium, but a regular in the top 10
“People are saying everywhere that he’s going to win the world cup, Johannes [Thingnes] Boe is also putting him at the top of his predictions… Even if he feels he has the shoulders to win, he’s going to have to be there from start to finish. Races in the top ten, like he did there, will never be lost in terms of points for the general classification. He’s in the mix and in ambush. There’s no reason to panic about him, especially as he’s still not 100% fit.
Should we be worried about Lou Jeanmonnot?
“Even if she came fourth in the individual, that’s perhaps a bit further than we thought… Aren’t we putting her under a bit too much pressure by telling her she’s going to win the World Cup before she’s even started? Last year, it was the same thing: she arrived at the World Championships announcing that she was going to win medals in every race, and she fell a little flat on her face. Right now, I think we should leave her alone and let her do her biathlon.
“Even if she didn’t win the big one this year but became Olympic champion… that would more than make up for it, and she would realise that being there on D-Day, every four years, is remarkable. There are people who have never won the Olympics and who are still great champions. It’s good to play both sides, but you can’t put pressure on yourself and miss out. Maybe we need to let her do her biathlon the way she knows how.
Emilien Jacquelin and Fabien Claude in the firing line
“On the shooting, I think Jean-Pierre [Amat] needs to tighten things up a bit. On the ski times, they’re on the pace, but they’ve really left a bit to be desired on the shooting. We need to tighten that up a bit and we’ll be fine. It’s easier to solve the shooting problem when it’s a question of details between training and competition, when you’re physically up to it. You have to have the mental strength to get through this!
Amandine Mengin’s return to the IBU Cup
“She discovered what the World Cup was all about after getting a taste of it in Oslo-Holmenkollen at the end of the season. Even so, it’s good to be here, to have seen it and to know that there’s still work to be done. It’s also part of the learning process. I don’t think she’ll be disappointed to be back in the IBU Cup. It’s good to come and see and realise the level and the progress that still needs to be made to take the next step.
