Para biathlon: time to assess for Anaïs Bescond, the French team’s shooting coach
Shooting coach to the French para biathlon team for the last three years, Anaïs Bescond, 37, from Normandy, had a great time last season on the shooting ranges of the World Cup and World Championships.
With just a few months to go before the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games, it has to be said that her group has shone from (almost) everywhere. For Nordic Magazine, the 2018 Olympic mixed relay champion looks back at her athletes’ performances.
Karl Tabouret: “Total blossoming”
“He’s a total blossoming! When I started out with him, frankly, shooting was complicated. It was difficult to get her into the right frame of mind and to teach her the basics of shooting. We had to repeat the same thing over and over again to get consistency, because shooting is an eternal restart. It took quite a long time, but we came up with something really good this winter! In the end, it was almost quick. He managed to find consistency in his success. He missed very few balls this winter. I’m really proud of that. In cross-country skiing, he made his first podium finish and then went on to become world sprint champion.”
Anthony Chalençon: “He’s capable of getting out in front regularly and winning”
“He continues to perform at his level with opponents who are more than up to the task. He’s not world champion this year, but he’s consistent and very regular ahead of the next Paralympic Games. It’s not just one shot. He’s capable of regularly being out in front and going on to win. That’s really good for next year. He’s out in front and he can win! He’s still very motivated for this final season.”
“When I started with the paras, I was told that shooting visually impaired people was complicated and often anarchic, with ups and downs. Sometimes you think everything is understood and integrated, but it all goes to shit the next week. That’s not the case with Anthony [Chalençon]. He’s managed to stay consistent without going off the deep end.”
Benjamin Daviet: “He’s someone you can count on, even if the preparation wasn’t as good as it could have been”
“For me, it was a pleasant surprise! I didn’t think he had much of a chance when he joined us late in the season after having done the summer in para rowing. He arrived in a very tired state and lacked legs. He’d developed his physique on the one hand, but he lacked the specific things needed for skiing. Thanks to his qualities as a champion and his mental strength, he went on to win some very good races. His medal at the Para Biathlon World Championships, as well as his Para Cross-Country Skiing medal, is the crowning achievement of an experienced athlete. He’s someone you can count on, even if his preparation wasn’t up to scratch.”
“It’s all good for morale and motivates us to get pumped up before the Paralympic year. His decision not to race in para-rowing this year is really good for skiing. His priority is logically the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, and I’m very happy about that. That way, he won’t be diluting his efforts.”
Chloé Pinto: “It’s been a frustrating winter”
“She’s always an athlete we count on and want to continue working with. She’s irreproachable in training and it’s a pleasure to work with her. This winter has been pretty frustrating. From my point of view on the shooting range, it’s been 50/50 because she hasn’t been able to put into practice what she’s capable of doing in training, where she’s got great shooting ability.”
“This was her first year where her physical preparation was complete with specific ski training without too many adaptations linked to her disability. One year isn’t enough, so there are still things to correct and develop with her. She still has potential and room for improvement. She’s going to have to get a quota if she wants to go to the Paralympics in Italy, and that’s not going to be easy. We’re aware of that and she’s got that in mind too, so she’s going to keep trying to grab the seconds she’s missing.”
- Torsby World Cup: Anthony Chalençon and his guide Florian Michelon second in the sprint pursuit, third place for Karl Tabouret
- Torsby World Cup: Benjamin Daviet dominates the individual race ahead of Karl Tabouret, third place for Anthony Chalençon (guided by Florian Michelon)
- Torsby World Cup: Anthony Chalençon (guided by Florian Michelon) wins the sprint
- Trondheim: Karl Tabouret classic sprint world champion, Benjamin Daviet in bronze
- Karl Tabouret, new world classic sprint champion: “At no point did I really think I was going to come first!
- “It’s my first medal in a real classic, it’s huge”: Benjamin Daviet has a smile on his face after the classic sprint in Trondheim
- Toblach World Championships: Karl Tabouret silver medallist in the individual 10km classic, Alexis Sanchez twenty-third in the seated event
- The joy of Karl Tabouret, new runner-up in the individual 10 km classic: “It’s a huge thing”.
- Toblach: Anthony Chalençon and his guide Florian Michelon runners-up in the 20 km skate race, Benjamin Daviet fifth
- For his last world championship start, Anthony Chalençon took silver in the 20km skate: “It’s great to finish this adventure with a medal”.
- Pokljuka: Karl Tabouret fourth in the World Championships sprint, less than a second from bronze, Benjamin Daviet eighth
- Pokljuka World Championships: Anthony Chalençon and his guide Florian Michelon take silver in the sprint
- Pokljuka: Benjamin Daviet runner-up in the individual event
- “A champion’s reaction”: Benjamin Daviet tells Nordic Magazine how he won his 24th world medal in the Pokljuka individual event.
- Val di Fiemme: Karl Tabouret magnificent second in the classic sprint, the other Frenchmen out after qualifying
- Karl Tabouret tells Nordic Magazine after his first World Cup podium: “I wasn’t expecting it at all”.
- Vuokatti: Benjamin Daviet second in the classic sprint, Karl Tabouret stops in the semi-finals
- Vuokatti: Anthony Chalençon tops the podium in the visually impaired mass-start skate, Benjamin Daviet 15th in the standing skate
- Vuokatti: Anthony Chalençon (guided by Florian Michelon) third in the opening World Cup sprint
- “I’ll go all the way to the 2026 Games and then I’ll stop”: Paralympic and world champion Anthony Chalençon sets his retirement date
