Biathlon: Stéphane Bouthiaux explains the selection for Oslo-Holmenkollen
On Friday afternoon, the French Ski Federation (FFS ) officially unveiled the French squad for next week’ s Biathlon World Cup in Oslo-Holmenkollen (Norway). Benefiting from additional quotas, the French team will be represented by nine girls and seven boys.
Having just arrived in Peisey-Nancroix (Savoie), where the 2024/2025 French Cup comes to a close this weekend, Stéphane Bouthiaux, director and coach of the French biathlon team, spoke to Nordic Magazine about the various choices made by the staff.
Camille Bened and Paula Botet selected, not Gilonne Guigonnat
“There were several possible options. We opted for the potential to perform at the moment, with less than a week to go before the first races in Oslo-Holmenkollen. Clearly, Camille Bened, on the strength of her overall victory in the IBU Cup and her recent performances, more than deserves to move up to the World Cup.”
“As for Paula Botet, she’s getting better and better, and she’s clearly been the fastest on the skis since the start of the season, as she has been for the last few days in Otepää. We can’t ignore the fact that she won the World Cup this winter. [Compared to Gilonne Guigonnat], there were several points that tipped the balance in her favour: the trajectory of her results over the last ten days, her speed on skis and, therefore, her victory in the World Cup.”
Why Voldiya Galmace-Paulin was not selected
“There was also the option of taking Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, but we decided a long time ago that we wouldn’t take her on no matter what because it’s a lot for her, too big a sequence. We wanted to preserve her. She’s just 19 and she’s had one thing after another this winter, and again recently with the World Junior Championships and then the IBU Cup in Otepää. We wouldn’t be doing her any favours if we took her to Oslo-Holmenkollen, although I imagine she’d be delighted. We’re looking to the future and we think she has a great future ahead of her.”
The decision to activate the nominative quota for Amandine Mengin, the best athlete at the World Junior Championships
“We had decided in advance that if we had a nominative quota from the Junior World Championships, we would take this athlete with us to the World Cup [in Oslo-Holmenkollen]. We had also decided to rest this athlete this week, during the IBU Cup in Otepää. So that’s what we did with Amandine Mengin.”
A seven-strong men’s group, without Gaëtan Paturel, the man who secured the extra quota.
“Oscar Lombardot has shown that he belongs in the World Cup over the last two weeks, and he’s turning a corner. The last thing we want to do is pull the rug out from under him as he progresses.”
“The seventh quota goes to Gaëtan Paturel. Like Voldiya [Galmace-Paulin], he’s done a lot of racing in recent weeks and we decided in advance not to take him. So it’s Antonin Guigonnat who will be in Oslo-Holmenkollen after his participation in the Pokljuka mass-start on Saturday.”
The French selection for the Oslo-Holmenkollen Biathlon World Cup 🇳🇴
Ladies
- Camille Bened – Chablais Nordic (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Paula Botet – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / La Bressaude (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Justine Braisaz-Bouchet – CUSTOMS / Les Saisies (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Sophie Chauveau – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Le Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Lou Jeanmonnot – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Olympic Mont d’Or (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Amandine Mengin – La Bressaude (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Océane Michelon – Bauges Ski Nordique (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Jeanne Richard – POLICE NATIONALE / Les Gets (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Julia Simon – DOUANE / Les Saisies (Savoie) 🇫🇷
Men
- Emilien Claude – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Basse sur le Rupt (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Fabien Claude – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Basse sur le Rupt (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Quentin Fillon-Maillet – DOUANE / Grandvaux (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Antonin Guigonnat – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Morzine Avoriaz (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Emilien Jacquelin – DOUANE / Villard de Lans (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Oscar Lombardot – ES Saugette (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Eric Perrot – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Peisey Vallandry (Savoie) 🇫🇷
The programme for the Oslo-Holmenkollen Biathlon World Cup 🇳🇴
Friday 21 March
- 1.30pm: Men’s 10 km sprint
- 4.15pm: Women’s 7.5km sprint
Saturday 22nd March
- 1.45pm: Men’s 12.5 km pursuit
- 3.50pm: women’s 10km pursuit
Sunday 23rd March
- 1.15pm: women’s 12.5 km mass-start
- 3.40pm: men’s 15km mass-start
