Biathlon: Lea Meier, the number 1 in the sprint twice over
Sometimes chance has its surprises. For 24-year-old Swiss biathlete Lea Meier, the last two draws for the start list of a World Cup sprint gave her the number 1 bib. Last week in Oberhof (Germany), she opened the race in this way, as she did this Friday in Ruhpolding (Germany).
Everyone had a bit of a laugh when we were told at the team meeting,” she explained to Nordic Magazine. In fact, it’s funny because Jacques Jefferies did his first World Cup race with Great Britain in Grand-Bornand with this number 1. He managed it very well, making a 9/10 when he missed the last ball standing up. Last week, I already had the n°1 at Oberhof and he told me not to do like him, not to miss the last… and I did exactly the same race as him!
1 minute off the lead at the start of the chase
This time, Lea Meier – still wearing the number 1 on her bib – didn’t want to go through that again. ” I saw Iris Pessey, Jacques [Jefferies]’s coach, and she told me to put all the balls in,” says the Swiss with a smile. On the Bavarian mats, she validated her objective with a 10/10, her first World Cup score since December 2024.
“I just tried to stay focused. I know I didn’t start fast enough in Oberhof and I was disappointed about that. In this sprint, I really wanted to do better and go faster, which I managed to do, even though it’s complicated to ski all three laps on your own,” says Lea Meier. I’m also very happy with my shooting time, which was tenth among the entrants, because sometimes I have trouble finding my rhythm. With my number 1, the whole audience was behind me during the prone shot. It was a great experience!
Lea Meier was “very happy” with her 18th place finish , 59.9 seconds behind Swedish winner Hanna Oeberg, and her first World Cup top 20 in the sprint format. “ I can’t wait for the pursuit,” she says. That will be on Sunday from 12.30pm.
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- Emilien Claude replaces Valentin Lejeune, women’s squad unchanged: France’s selection for the Ruhpolding World Cup
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- Johan-Olav Botn finally withdraws from the Ruhpolding World Cup
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- Ruhpolding: Norway, led by an immense Maren Kirkeeide, wins the relay ahead of Italy and Sweden, with France fourth
- “There were better than us today”: the scarecrows of the last relay before the 2026 Olympics, how Les Bleues let the podium slip away in Ruhpolding
- “It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced”: with an incredible Maren Kirkeeide, the Norwegians won their first relay since March 2024.
- The top three teams in 3 seconds: the Ruhpolding relay, the closest relay in the history of women’s biathlon
- Ruhpolding: Emilien Jacquelin withdraws from the relay, Oscar Lombardot replaces him
- Ruhpolding: Fabien Claude, Oscar Lombardot, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot win the relay at the end of the suspense
- “Boy, does that feel good! Les Bleus take a weight off their shoulders after winning the last relay before the 2026 Olympic Games in Ruhpolding
- 30 km out, called up at the last minute, solid and victorious relay: Oscar Lombardot’s crazy day at Ruhpolding
- Ruhpolding: the sprint for Hanna Oeberg, Lou Jeanmonnot excellent second
- Ruhpolding: second in the sprint, Lou Jeanmonnot consolidates her yellow bib as World Cup leader
- “I was almost inhibited”: despite the stress, how Lou Jeanmonnot, second, managed to sprint like a boss in Ruhpolding
- “I don’t think she’ll be at the start of the pursuit”: Julia Simon, 62nd in sprint skiing, raced ill
- Julia Simon makes her withdrawal from the Ruhpolding pursuit official
- “Sprint victories stay in the family”: at Ruhpolding, Hanna Oeberg continues the series started with her sister
- “Boring, frustrating, exhausting”: in distress at Ruhpolding, Océane Michelon struggles to regain her sensations
