Biathlon: World Cup resumes in 7 days
Only a few nights to go until the official start of the biathlon season! This Saturday, as the biathletes get back into the swing of things after their preparatory races last weekend, we are exactly 7 days away from the start of the 2024/2025 Biathlon World Cup on 30 November. In exactly one week’s time, then, the world’s best biathletes will meet in Kontiolahti (Finland), a venue that was absent from the world circuit last winter.
As has been the tradition for several years, the hostilities will kick off with mixed events: a mixed single relay at 1.15pm, followed by a mixed relay from 3.45pm. The following day, Sunday 1 December, there will be relays by gender (1.45pm for the men, 5.25pm for the women), followed by individual short events (Tuesday 3 December, Wednesday 4 December), sprints (Friday 6 December, Saturday 7 December) and mass start events (Sunday 8 December).
The end of December will be spent in Hochfilzen (Austria), host of the 2028 World Championships, and in Le Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie), where the 2030 Olympic Games are scheduled.
In January, the circuit will move on to Oberhof (Germany), Ruhpolding (Germany) and Antholz (Italy), before closing in March with Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), Pokljuka (Slovenia) and Oslo-Holmenkollen (Norway), where the finals will be held.
A French selection already almost entirely known
The vast majority of the French selection is also known for these races to launch the 2024/2025 season. On the women’s side, Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot, Jeanne Richard, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Gilonne Guigonnat, Sophie Chauveau and Océane Michelon have been selected.
For the men, Fabien Claude, Eric Perrot, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Emilien Jacquelin secured their places.
As Nordic Magazine revealed a few weeks ago, the last two men’s tickets will be up for grabs on 28 and 30 November during the two sprints at the IBU Cup in Idre Fjäll (Sweden). The lucky winners will join Kontiolahti for the individual events on the second week’s programme, with the French team remaining at four for the relays on the first weekend.
Oscar Lombardot, Antonin Guigonnat and Emilien Claude will be the favourites to claim their places, while Théo Guiraud-Poillot, Axel Garnier and Gaëtan Paturel will also be hoping to climb the World Cup for the first time in their careers.
The full programme for the Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup 🇫🇮
Saturday 30th November
- 1.15pm: Mixed singles relay
- 3.45pm: Mixed relay
Sunday 1st December
- 1.45pm: Men’s 4×7.5km relay
- 5.25pm: Women’s 4x6km relay
Tuesday 3rd December
- 4.20pm: Men’s 15km individual short
Wednesday 4 December
- 4.20pm: Women’s individual short 12.5 km
Friday 6 December
- 4.20pm: Men’s 10km sprint
Saturday 7 December
- 5.10pm: Women’s 7.5km sprint
Sunday 8 December
- 2.30pm: Men’s 15 km mass-start
- 5.10pm: Women’s 12.5km mass-start
The French selection for the Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup 🇫🇮
Women
- Justine Braisaz-Bouchet – DOUANE / Club des Sports des Saisies (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Sophie Chauveau – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Grand Bornand (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Gilonne Guigonnat – Ski Club Villard sur Boëge (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Lou Jeanmonnot – ARMY OF CHAMPIONS / Olympic Mont d’Or (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Océane Michelon – Bauges Ski Nordique (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- Jeanne Richard – POLICE NATIONALE / Les Gets Ski Competition (Mont Blanc) 🇫🇷
- Julia Simon – DOUANE / Club des Sports des Saisies (Savoie) 🇫🇷
Men
- Fabien Claude – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Basse sur Le Rupt Nordic skiing (Massif des Vosges) 🇫🇷
- Quentin Fillon-Maillet – DOUANE / Ski Club du Grandvaux (Massif Jurassien) 🇫🇷
- Emilien Jacquelin – DOUANE / CS Nordique Villard de Lans (Dauphiné) 🇫🇷
- Eric Perrot – ARMÉE DE CHAMPIONS / Ski Club Peisey-Vallandry (Savoie) 🇫🇷
- + the top two finishers in the two sprints at the IBU Cup in Idre Fjäll
The list of the 27 national teams entered for the Kontiolahti Biathlon World Cup 🇫🇮
- Australia 🇦🇺
- Belgium 🇧🇪
- Bulgaria 🇧🇬
- South Korea 🇰🇷
- Italy 🇮🇹
- Austria 🇦🇹
- Kazakhstan 🇰🇿
- Canada 🇨🇦
- China 🇨🇳
- Greece 🇬🇷
- Latvia 🇱🇻
- Lithuania 🇱🇹
- Moldova 🇲🇩
- Norway 🇳🇴
- Poland 🇵🇱
- France 🇫🇷
- Romania 🇷🇴
- Sweden 🇸🇪
- Germany 🇩🇪
- Slovakia 🇸🇰
- Slovenia 🇸🇮
- Finland 🇫🇮
- Switzerland 🇨🇭
- Czech Republic 🇨🇿
- Ukraine 🇺🇦
- Estonia 🇺🇦
- United States 🇺🇸
- 27 countries expected in Kontiolahti for the start of the World Cup
- With Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer and Tommaso Giacomel: Italy (already) unveils its selection for the Kontiolahti World Cup
- Thunderbolt for the Women’s World Cup: Lisa Vittozzi withdraws for Kontiolahti and will start the season in Hochfilzen
- Kontiolahti: the Estonian squad for the first stage of the World Cup led by Tuuli Tomingas, Robert Heldna and Rene Zahkna
- Vebjoern Soerum seventh man, Gro Randby, Emilie Kalkenberg and Maren Kirkeeide to complete the women’s squad: the Norwegian selection for the Kontiolahti World Cup has been announced.
- Kontiolahti: Finland selects eleven athletes for the home opener of the World Cup
- Kontiolahti: no surprises in the French squad for the first stage of the World Cup
- Kontiolahti: the German team for the opening match of the World Cup… without Roman Rees, but with the new generation of women
- Kontiolahti: Austria with Lisa Theresa Hauser, Simon Eder, Felix Leitner and Anna Gandler… and rookie Fabien Muellauer
- Kontiolahti: Sweden unveil their squad for the start of the World Cup, and all the stars are there
- Kontiolahti: Marketa Davidova and Michal Krcmar lead the Czech team into the first stage of the World Cup
- IBU breaks new ground with mass-starts for the first stage of the 2024/2025 World Cup
- The programme for the Grand-Bornand World Cup, scheduled for December 2024, is already known.
