Biathlon: third podium in three relays for Les Bleues
In a biathlon race, nothing is ever over. This Saturday afternoon, the women’s biathlon world cup relay in Ruhpolding (Germany) showed this once again. Paula Botet from Bresse, the thrower in the tricolour quartet, was in twentieth place and last in the rankings after a penalty lap, but Les Bleues set off on a magnificent comeback to finish third at the finish line.
First of all, it has to be said that the Vosgienne, on her feet, had completely recovered, clocking 5/5. She then passed the baton to Océane Michelon, a rookie in the exercise, in fourteenth position, 54.2 seconds off the lead. The Baujue maintained her lead with each of her shots, relegating Justine Braisaz-Bouchet to tenth place at 56.0 seconds halfway through the race.
It was from that point on that the Frenchwomen’s fantastic comeback took on a new dimension. The reigning World and Olympic mass-start champion was quick on her skis and only had to spend a single penny to give Julia Simon the lead, 28.3 seconds off the pace in fifth place.
Germany triumph at home
The Beaufortaine native picked up third place after the dismount, taking advantage ofElvira Oeberg‘s penalty lap in Sweden. From then on, all Julia Simon had to do was do Julia Simon, i.e. a quick and precise final standing shot. She had been struggling with this for the last few races, but she pulled it out of her bag perfectly in the fury of the Chiemgau Arena (a 5/5 in 17 sec 4!) to give France an unhoped-for third place an hour earlier.
Up front, it was Germany’s immense Franziska Preuss who took victory in front of her home crowd, while Norway, despite being without Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, was second.
Another podium finish for our Blues in the relay! 🥉
Paula Botet, Océane Michelon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Julia Simon take 3rd place in Ruhpolding 🇫🇷
📸 Nordic Focus pic.twitter.com/NIQGCHZqsR– FFS – Fédération Française de Ski (@FedFranceSki) January 18, 2025
Live data from the women’s relay
Full results
- The full programme for the Ruhpolding World Cup, the fifth stage of the 2024/2025 season
- Corinne Niogret: my best memory of… Ruhpolding
- Same old, same old: the French selection for the Ruhpolding World Cup
- Ruhpolding: first World Cup podium for Emilien Claude, second in the individual race won by Vebjoern Soerum
- Emilien Claude on his first World Cup podium in Ruhpolding: “I don’t feel that my life is changing, but that hard work is paying off after four complicated years”.
- “I cried”: how Anna Gandler, his fellow biathlete in the Austrian team, felt about Emilien Claude’s first World Cup podium.
- “It’s a real nightmare”: 85th in Ruhpolding, Johannes Thingnes Boe put in the worst World Cup performance of his career
- Ruhpolding: another victory for Lou Jeanmonnot, winner of the individual at 20/20
- “I’m proud of myself for having managed to deal with this different pressure than usual”: Lou Jeanmonnot’s joy, winner of the Ruhpolding individual race in red
- “It’s really moving”: third in the Ruhpolding individual, Switzerland’s Amy Baserga signs her best career result
- “I didn’t feel ready at all, I was nervous? Anna Gandler recounts her individual race in Ruhpolding, where she finished sixth at the flower ceremony.
- Ruhpolding: French triumph again in the relay
