Biathlon : the knife will (has) fallen
As you read these lines, the French team biathlete sidelined for the World Cup in Le Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie) has already been informed by the technical staff. However, the general public, the media and fans will not know her identity until later today, when the communications department of the French Ski Federation (FFS ) decides to publish the list of athletes selected for the French leg of the world biathlon circuit.
With seven competitors in the heats contested in Kontiolahti (Finland) and Hochfilzen (Austria) over the last few weeks, only six of the French women will be able to compete in the Haute-Savoie village. A choice had to be made as to which of Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot, Sophie Chauveau, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Gilonne Guigonnat, Jeanne Richard or Océane Michelon would be left by the wayside.

Right off the bat, we can say that the first four mentioned are assured of their place, either thanks to their track records and status, or to their performances over the last few days.
Gilonne Guigonnat out of favour
The decision will be made between Gilonne Guigonnat, Jeanne Richard and Océane Michelon. ” It’s the performances and results that will count, and it will be up to us to be as far-sighted as possible to ensure that each of them is in her best position,” promised Cyril Burdet, their coach, in our columns before the start of hostilities.
With this in mind, Chablais’ Gilonne Guigonnat, twenty-sixth in the overall rankings, is likely to have to contend with the competition. There are several options, but you think it might be Gilonne Guigonnat who comes out on top,” confirms Frédéric Jean for Nordic Magazine. She’s behind in the overall rankings, but had a great pursuit on Saturday in Hochfilzen. She could deserve to stay in the World Cup with this top 10. On paper, despite everything, she’s the logical one [to be eliminated from the group].

However, the former Les Bleues coach and consultant for La Chaîne L’Equipe has another hypothesis: resting Jeanne Richard so that she is back full of freshness in January. ” We know she’s young, she has potential and she’ll be back,” he says.
The option that Frédéric Jean is not considering, however, is that of seeing Océane Michelon sidelined: “She’s well placed overall [eleventh, editor’s note], so you can’t put her aside for Le Grand-Bornand,” he explains. On Sunday in Hochfilzen, I would even have put her in the relay instead of a leader.
- Paragraph 15.6.3.c. of the IBU competition rules: this point of the rules allows the French women’s team to start the 2024/2025 World Cup with seven players.
- “It’s performances and results that count”: in Kontiolahti and Hochfilzen, the seven girls in the French team are fighting to take part in the Grand-Bornand World Cup.
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