Para biathlon: the 2025/2026 World Cup kicks off this Thursday in Canmore
After a week marked by the opening of the Para-Cross-Country Skiing World Cup, the Alberta venue of Canmore (Canada) hoststhe first stage of the 2025/2026 Para-Biathlon World Cup from this Thursday.
On Thursday, to kick off the hostilities, sprints will be contested, while sprint pursuits will take place on Saturday and individual races on Sunday. France – coached by Vincent Duchêne and Anaïs Bescond – will be represented by Karl Tabouret, Benjamin Daviet, Chloé Pinto and Anthony Chalençon (guided by Florian Michelon).
Cléo Blanc, who is in Canada for the para-cross-country ski races, won’t be taking part, despite training with her rifle in hand. She’s gone back home,” says Anaïs Bescond for Nordic Magazine. We’ll be lining her up again for the World Cups in January, where she’ll be doing biathlon. She’s 17 and shows promise, so we’re counting on her for the future.
Work objectives before the Paralympic Games
As for the leaders of the French team, the Jura shooting coach is aiming for at least one top 3 finish a day. ” Karl Tabouret’s two podium finishes in cross-country para-skiing make everyone want to do it,” she says.
“The aim is to shoot perfectly. We’ve worked hard all year and we’ve put certain things in place,” she reveals. We’ve developed Anthony [Chalençon]’s shot a bit. For Benjamin [Daviet], we’re building on the things he’s been doing very well for years. As for Karl [Tabouret], we’ve modified his set-up and his exit from the shooting range.
With the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games just a few months away, these first games of the winter will be closely scrutinised. ” On the whole, I’m looking for quality on the shooting range and a confidence boost in the future so that we can look ahead to March and the Games with peace of mind,” concludes Anaïs Bescond.
The full programme for the Para Biathlon World Cup in Canmore (Canada)
Thursday 11 December
- 6.45pm: Men’s 7.5km sprint, seated
- 7.00 pm: women’s 7.5 km sprint, seated
- 8.45pm: 7.5km men’s standing sprint
- 9.00 pm: women’s 7.5 km standing sprint
- 9.15pm: 7.5km sprint for visually impaired men
- 9.30pm: Women’s 7.5 km sprint for the visually impaired
Saturday 12 December
- 7.15pm: Men’s seated sprint pursuit qualifiers
- 7.30pm: Women’s seated sprint pursuit qualifiers
- 7.45pm: men’s standing sprint pursuit qualifiers
- 8.00 pm: women’s standing sprint pursuit qualifiers
- 8.15pm: qualifications for the visually impaired men’s sprint pursuit
- 8.30pm: Women’s visually impaired sprint pursuit qualifiers
- 9.55pm: men’s sprint pursuit final
- 22:15: women’s seated sprint pursuit final
- 22:35: men’s standing sprint pursuit final
- 10:50pm: women’s standing sprint pursuit final
- 11.10pm: visually impaired men’s sprint pursuit final
- 11.25pm: women’s visually impaired sprint pursuit final
Sunday 13 December
- 6.45pm: Men’s 12.5km seated individual
- 7.10pm: Men’s 12.5km seated individual
- 9.15pm: Men’s individual 12.5 km standing
- 9.30pm: Men’s 12.5 km individual standing event
- 22:15: Individual 12.5 km visually impaired men
- 10.30pm: individual 12.5 km visually impaired men
- The complete 2025/2026 World Cup programme
- Canmore Continental Cup: Alexis Sanchez and Maxime Gayet (guided by Alexis Bernard) fifth in the individual 5 km skateboard race
- “Our two stars are here to win, the others to gain experience”: the French team launches its World Cup in Canmore
- Canmore: Karl Tabouret on the podium in the individual classic, Benjamin Daviet seventh, Alexis Sanchez just outside the top 10
- Canmore: Benjamin Daviet out in the semi-finals and seventh in the sprint skating event
- Canmore: second place in the mass-start classic for Karl Tabouret
