FasterSkier

Visit FasterSkier.com →

From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Author: Clare Egan

  • 2024 World Championship Mass Starts and Medals

    2024 World Championship Mass Starts and Medals

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

    Sean Doherty (USA) competing in the Mass Start at the World Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    On the final day of Biathlon World Championships, the crowd at the Vysocina Arena in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic was treated to the men’s and women’s Mass Start competitions. Fifteen kilometers for men and 12.5 for women, the Mass Start is a head-to-head race with four shooting stages featuring the top thirty athletes.

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) crosses the line with three fingers in the air for his three individual 2024 World Championship victories. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the men’s race, winner Johannes Thingnes Boe of Norway claimed his seventh medal in seven races for the second year in a row. He missed a single target on the first stage but then shot clean through the rest of the race to take a decisive victory. The crowd roared as he crossed the finish line holding up three fingers, for his wins in three of the four individual competitions here. Behind him, Latvia entered the medal table thanks to the 20/20 performance of Andrejs Rastorgujevs, and France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet closed a successful World Championships with his first individual medal of the week, having already reached the podium in all three team relay competitions.

    USA’s Campbell Wright (right) speaks with long-time coach Emil Bormetti after finishing 18th in the Mass Start. He finished in the top twenty in all four individual races at 2024 World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Tarjei Boe (NOR), Fabien Claude (FRA) and Jakov Fak (SLO) completed the Flower Ceremony. The competition highlighted the advantage of experience in biathlon: of the top-six finishers, three are at least 35 years old, and only Claude is under 30, at 29. Twenty-one-year-old Campbell Wright finished 18th with four misses, capping off his first World Championships representing US Biathlon with top-twenty finishes in all four individual competitions. The other American qualifier, Sean Doherty, was 28th with five misses.

    Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (FRA) won her first individual gold of the Championships in the Mass Start, about a year after giving birth to her first child. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    On the women’s side, France’s Justine Braisaz-Bouchet put an exclamation point on her first World Championships since giving birth to her daughter last winter. Having finished second and third in the Sprint and Pursuit, she shot 20/20 to claim her first individual gold medal of the Championships. With gold medals also from the Mixed Relay and Women’s Relay, Braisaz leaves Nove Mesto with five medals—three golds, a silver and a bronze—from six races. Her only finish outside the top-three was a seventh place in the 15 k Individual.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) hit 69/70 targets in the four individual races at 2024 World Championships, taking two silver medals and a gold.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) took silver with yet another 20/20 performance, bringing her total shooting score for the four individual races at World Championships to 69/70, with her only miss coming in the Pursuit. To put this in perspective, many biathletes finish their World Cup careers without ever hitting 20/20. With four medals at the 2024 World Championships, Vittozzi tied her haul from 2023, but this year she won her first individual title in the 15 k Individual.

    Braisaz-Bouchet (bib 3, FRA), Lou Jeanmonnot (bib 5, FRA), and Lisa Vittozzi (bib 2, ITA) (l-r) finished first, third, and second in the Mass Start. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    France’s Lou Jeanmonnot took bronze with one miss. After a breakout season last winter in which she reached the World Cup podium twice in individual races, Jeanmonnot leaves the 2024 Championships with two individual bronze medals from the Sprint and Mass Start, and two golds from the Women’s Relay and Single-Mixed Relay. Taking fourth with three misses, Julia Simon (FRA) narrowly missed her sixth medal of the Championships. Though Braisaz-Bouchet and Jeanmonnot were remarkably successful, Simon was the golden girl of the Championships, taking home a total of five medals: four gold and one bronze.

    Julia Simon (FRA) won four golds and a bronze at the 2024 World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In fifth, Vanessa Voigt of Germany shot 20/20 again, bringing her total shooting score for the Championships to 68/70. Austria’s Lisa Hauser, who won the World Championship title in this event in 2021, completed the Flower Ceremony in sixth, tying her best result since November. Having finished third in the World Cup Total Score in 2022 and tenth in 2023, Hauser has had a difficult season, currently sitting in 32nd, so this result was especially meaningful.

    Lou Jeanmonnot (FRA) waving to the crowd on her way to her second individual bronze medal of the 2024 World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The 2024 Biathlon World Championships were memorable for the amazing atmosphere delivered by 30,000 fans in the stadium, the bleachers lining the course, and the military jet flyover between the Mass Starts on the last day. Even so, American biathletes were tuned into the historic cross-country races at home in Minneapolis. Biathlon has long been celebrated in Europe with huge crowds, but it is a different thrill to see Americans come out for Nordic sport like they have this weekend. For cross-country skiers, including those who also practice shooting, this season will be unforgettable not for what happened in Nove Mesto but rather for the magic in Minneapolis. It’s a validation every minute of hard work and every ounce of passion that Americans have poured into the sport we all love.

    Justine Braisaz-Bouchet celebrates an emotional victory in the Mass Start, with silver medalist Lisa Vittozzo (ITA) and teammate Lou Jeanmonnot (bronze) looking on. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • USA Fifth in World Championship Relay

    USA Fifth in World Championship Relay

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    On the second-to-last day of 2024 World Championships, USA reached a historic fifth-place finish among 24 nations in the Men’s Relay under the lights at the Vysocina Arena in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    On Saturday in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, the American quartet of Vincent Bonacci, Sean Doherty, Campbell Wright, and Jake Brown made history for US Biathlon, finishing fifth among 24 nations: the team’s best-ever World Championship or Olympic Men’s Relay result. After more than an hour and 15 minutes of racing, the team finished just 1:22 behind the winners from Sweden. Norway out-sprinted France for the silver, and Germany was fourth.

    Vincent Bonacci led off for the US in the 2024 World Championship Men’s Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The first leg was full of surprises. Estonia, Czechia and Kazakhstan led at the first exchange. France and Norway tagged in eighth and 12th after going into the penalty loop. For the US, Bonacci needed two spare rounds in prone but then cleared all five of his standing targets and tagged just ahead of Norway in 11th, 43 seconds out of the lead. Bonacci did his World Cup debut last season and has been steadily improving his results as he builds his ski speed. In late January he became one of the last two athletes named to this year’s World Championship roster after he took sixth at the European Championships with 20/20 shooting in the 20 k Individual. His reliable shooting earned him relay starts here in Nove Mesto, and he rose to the challenge of the World stage, scrambling with success in both the Mixed Relay and the Men’s Relay.

    Tarjei Boe (NOR) set a grueling pace on the second leg but Sean Doherty was able to catch a ride on the first loop. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Doherty caught a draft from Tarjei Boe (NOR) on the first loop of the second leg. Germany briefly took the lead but then went into the penalty loop, and just as France was making a comeback from their penalty loop on the first leg, they went back in twice more. This opened the door for Boe, who out-skied the field by 30 seconds, to bring Norway all the way from 12th to first at the half-way point. Doherty cleaned his prone targets but needed all three spares in standing. Thanks to the changes at the front of the race, he only lost about 13 seconds on the leg, tagging Campbell Wright in 10th place in a tightly packed field, still within one minute of the lead.

    Campbell Wright throws his rifle on his back after a successful standing bout. He skied the fourth-ranked course time and used just one spare to bring the US from 10th up to sixth on leg three of the Men’s Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Wright continued his streak of outstanding performances, using just one spare and skiing the fourth-best course time on the third leg to bring the team all the way up to sixth. He tagged Jake Brown for the anchor leg just 12 seconds out of third place. In the last men’s relay before World’s, Brown suffered on the shooting range, incurring two penalty loops in prone, but on Saturday he hit all five prone targets with no spares. He arrived at the shooting range for the final bout in fifth place, and used two spares to hold his position.

    Shooting on lane one, Norway’s Vetle Christiansen experienced a biathlon nightmare, missing all but two of his eight bullets, incurring three penalty loops and throwing away a huge one-minute lead! Sebastian Samuelsson of Sweden capitalized on his Norwegian rival’s misfortune, shooting fast and clean. He skied to the finish with enough time to glide in waving the Swedish flag, celebrating Sweden’s first gold medal of the Championships. Behind Samuelsson, France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet used just one spare and left the range as Christiansen was exiting the penalty loop. Ultimately Christiansen hunted down the Frenchman and claimed an anticlimactic silver for Norway.

    Jake Brown tuned out the distraction of a stadium full of screaming Czech fans as he shot head-to-head against the Czech Republic in the final shooting stage of the Men’s Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    After second-ranked Germany arrived at the finish line visibly disappointed in fourth, Brown arrived visibly thrilled in fifth. Since longtime US Biathlon stars Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey retired in 2018, the men’s team has been in a rebuilding phase, developing young athletes as well as experienced cross-country skiers like Brown. They have had three head coaches in five years, but throughout that period Brown has been a steadying force and has played a key role in building a positive and united men’s team culture. While 31-year-old Brown has not indicated any plan to retire, he summed up the importance of this result for his own career and for the team, saying, “Now I can retire in peace.” R.I.P.!

    Full Results Men’s 4×7.5 k Relay

    Estonia finished a historic fourth in the Women’s Relay, anchored by former MSU Bobcat and Craftsbury Green Racing Project training parter Johanna Talihaerm (left) . (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Earlier in the day, the French women won their first-ever World Championship relay, followed by Sweden and Germany. Estonia shocked the biathlon world with a historic fourth-place finish, anchored by former Montana State bobcat and Craftsbury Green Racing Project training parter, Johanna Talihaerm. Norway absolutely melted down, finishing tenth, followed by the Italian defending champions in 11th. To the 30,000 fans on-site plus millions watching on TV, the race offered biathlon drama at its best: equal parts miracle and collapse. The US was unfortunately in the latter category on Saturday, getting lapped and finishing 21st.

    Full Results Women’s 4×6 k Relay

    Next Up

    The last day of racing at 2024 Biathlon World Championships will feature the premier Mass Start events, in which the 30 top-ranked athletes compete head-to-head over four shooting stages. Campbell Wright and Sean Doherty will represent the US starting at 10:30 eastern time.

    Sunday 18 Feb Women’s 12.5 k Mass Start 08:15 eastern time
    Sunday 18 Feb Men’s 15 k Mass Start 10:30 eastern time

    Watch Live

    Sebastian Samuelsson skied in with the Swedish flag, celebrating the country’s first gold medal of the Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • France Tops 28 Nations in Single-Mixed Relay; USA Seventh

    France Tops 28 Nations in Single-Mixed Relay; USA Seventh

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    The start of the Single-Mixed Relay in the Vysocina Arena in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Twenty-eight nations started the Single-Mixed Relay on Thursday at Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. After just over 35 minutes of fast and furious racing, France claimed the gold, last year’s bronze medalists from Italy the silver, and the defending champions of Norway the bronze.

    The Single-Mixed Relay combines the performances of one man and one woman who each ski two short biathlon races, tagging off in between. The importance of shooting speed and accuracy is magnified in this format because the ski loop is only 1.5 k; there is relatively little distance over which to recover lost time. As in all biathlon relays, athletes can use up to three spare rounds per stage to hit their five targets, but loading each spare takes precious time, and if targets remain un-hit, the penalty loop awaits. The event is a wildly unpredictable fan favorite.

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) and Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA) (l-r) shoot on lanes one and two in the Single-Mixed Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The field was stacked. Team Norway comprised the two current World Cup Overall leaders, Johannes Thinges Boe and Ingrid Tandrevold. But Tandrevold’s standing shooting has been hit or miss at World’s—more often miss than hit. For France, Lou Jeanmonnot got called up to race with Quentin Fillon Maillet. France’s top star, Julia Simon, decided to sit out and rest after winning three golds and a silver in the first four events of the Championships. But Jeanmonnot has been fantastic in her own right, finishing third, sixth, and seventh in the non-team competitions here in Nove Mesto. Italy put forward one of the strongest women in the field, Lisa Vittozzi, fresh off a victory in the 15 k Individual. Her partner, Tommaso Giacomel, has been 15th, 20th, and 45th in non-team competitions, combining reliable ski speed with less reliable shooting, but the same duo was a successful pairing in 2023 when they took bronze.

    2023 bronze medalists from Italy, Lisa Vittozzi and Tommaso Giacomel, paired up again to take silver in 2024 in the Single-Mixed Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Germany’s team combined the two most accurate shooters in the World Cup field. Sweden is always a threat, and Switzerland put forward two of the fastest shooters and the most likely person to demolish the last lap: Lena Haecki. For more discerning fans, the US was also a solid pick for the day: Campbell Wright and Deedra Irwin showed their potential in this event in January in Antholz, Italy, when they stayed in podium contention through the first half and eventually finished ninth in a very tight race, just 1:09 out of the lead.

    The lead constantly changes in the Single-Mixed Relay as the athletes make their way through a combined eight shooting stages and nine course loops. At the first exchange, France was in the lead but the eventual silver-medalists from Italy were down in 14th, with fourth place finishers Sweden following behind them in 15th. Wright shot 10/10 on the first leg to tag Irwin in fourth. At the second and third exchanges, France and Norway continued to trade the lead, while the US, Germany, Switzerland, and Finland shuffled around the next four places and Italy and Sweden gradually moved up.

    Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (NOR) incurred a penalty loop on the final shooting, falling from first to third. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the defining final stage of the race, Tandrevold, a lefty, stood on lane one, face to face with Jeanmonnot on lane two, in a shooting dual for the gold. Jeanmonnot shot with confidence, hitting 4/5 targets and her spare round in a total of just 28 seconds. But Tandrevold needed all three spares and still had to ski a penalty loop, opening the door for Vittozzi to leave the range in second after a flawless 19.6-second shooting bout. While Jeannmonnot skied to a decisive victory, Tandrevold caught and passed Vittozzi part way through the last lap, only to be convincingly out-sprinted by Vittozzi in the final two hundred meters. About thirty seconds behind that trio, Irwin shot clean and left the range in fourth, but three teams followed within the next nine seconds. The athletes from Sweden (H. Oeberg), Switzerland (Haecki), and Germany (Voigt) skied three of the four fastest course times on the last loop to push the USA down to seventh.

    Campbell Wright (USA) shoots on lane four in the Single-Mixed Relay. This year’s relays are his first since previously as the only New Zealand athlete on the circuit he didn’t have teammates with which to compete. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    For US Biathlon’s Campbell Wright, this season’s relays are a first. Wright is a dual citizen who grew up in New Zealand and competed for that country up through last season. As the only top Kiwi biathlete, he never had teammates with whom to race relays. Speaking of his experience shooting clean and tagging in fourth at the World Championships, Wright said, “I’m lovin’ it. I know I can ski well at the moment so it’s not as stressful skiing with fast people.” At just 21 years old, Wright is still coming to terms with the fact that he is one of the “fast people.” This was Wright’s second-ever Single-Mixed Relay after the one Antholz in January where he had a great start but then had to ski a penalty loop. Today’s shooting was different, he said, “because I had less pressure because Deedra was on the last leg!” He added, “That last leg is bloody hard.”

    Deedra Irwin (USA) shot clean on the final shooting to leave the range in fourth. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Irwin performed magnificently in the last leg on Thursday. Coming into the final stage in fourth, shooting for a chance at a World Championship medal, she cleared all five targets in a smooth and deliberate rhythm. “I went into the last standing thinking, ‘I have to be super aggressive,” she said. “On the first standing, I took my time, but everyone is shooting so fast and clean. That mindset worked which was awesome.” After the final shooting, Irwin was shocked when she saw Norway and Sweden skiing around the penalty loop and realized how well she was doing. But she was also aware that she left range, as she put it, “with all these people on my ass.” Irwin felt her best in January, but then was sick during the pre-World Championships training camp and has been doing a heavy load of racing as the top American woman, so she doesn’t feel quite as sharp now. But, she said, “I’m still in the best shape of my life this year.” Although it was frustrating to be passed on the final loop, Irwin was still content about her performance against some of biathlon’s top talents. “It’s very humbling and cool to fight against them. I’m never gonna complain about a top eight.”

    Full Results

    Up Next

    Saturday 17 Feb Women’s 4×6 k Relay 7:45 Eastern Time
    Saturday 17 Feb Men’s 4×7.5 k Relay 10:30  Eastern Time

    Watch Live

    Quentin Fillon Maillet and Lou Jeanmonnot celebrate winning the Single-Mixed Relay for France. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Men’s 20 k Individual Boe-dium, Wright and Doherty Top 25

    Men’s 20 k Individual Boe-dium, Wright and Doherty Top 25

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) defended his 2023 World Championships title in the 20 k Individual at 2024 World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The 20 k Individual is the longest race in biathlon, and with a one-minute time penalty per miss, so much can happen over the course of one competition. When defending champion Johannes Thinges Boe (NOR) missed one shot on the first stage, it looked like someone else might have a chance at the gold. But he swiftly dispelled any doubt, hitting the 15/15 remaining targets and out-skiing the field by a ridiculous 50-second margin to claim his 9th individual World Championships medal—just two medals shy of the record shared by greats Ole Einar Bjorndalen (NOR) and Martin Fourcade (FRA). Boe’s older brother, 35-year-old Tarjei, who won this event at the 2011 World Championships, skied the second-fastest time of the day and hit 19/20 to claim silver and give biathlon fans another “Boedium” to celebrate. In third, the German men’s team finally made an appearance on the podium thanks to Benedikt Doll’s 19/20 performance.

    Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA) overcame three prone misses to finish sixth.

    The Individual stretches out over a couple of hours and each loop can seem like its own race. On Wednesday afternoon in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, bib number 1 of 100 starters, France’s Quentin Fillon-Maillet, missed two targets right away on the first stage, incurring two minutes of time penalty and leaving the range in 73rd place with 16 kilometers still left to be skied. But he kept fighting for every second on course, hit 14/15 of the remaining targets, an moved all the way up to sixth place, earning himself a bouquet in the flower ceremony (and 7,000 Euros). Fillon-Maillet’s teammate Emilien Jacquelin finished fifth with one miss, and Andrejs Rastorgujevs of Latvia was fourth, also with two misses.

    Campbell Wright (USA) skied the 14th fastest course time to take 20th despite three misses. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    From the US, 21-year-old Campbell Wright matched his career-best 14th-ranked ski time from the Sprint to finish 20th despite three misses. The 2023 Junior World Champion was was pleasantly surprised by his own ski speed. “When you’re fit and have 40th ski time or fit and have 14th ski time, it feels the same,” said Wright, referring to past seasons when he also felt fit, but couldn’t yet keep up with the top senior-level athletes. Now, even though Wright is still one of the youngest athletes in the field, he is skiing with the best. With his finishes of 11th, 12th, and 20th so far at the World Championships, he has qualified for Sunday’s Mass Start featuring the top 30 athletes. Wright has done one other Mass Start, back in 2022 when he was just 19 years old. “I feel like I won’t just get blown out the back on the first loop,” said Wright. “I’m a lot more in the fight.” Wright is humble and just starting to come to terms with his own capabilities, but for everyone watching it is clear that he is very solidly “in the fight.”

    Sean Doherty (USA) skiing his way to 23rd in the 20 k Individual. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Sean Doherty (USA) finished just behind Wright in 23rd, with two misses. “I’m happy with it,” he said. “I was in the right state of mind for an Individual, to really be in it and give myself a chance.” Since starting the Championships with a 44th in the Sprint, Doherty has been exceptional, moving up 18 places in the Pursuit to 26th, and then posting his season-best result in the Individual. Thanks to these two top-25 results, Doherty will join Wright in the Mass Start.

    Also for the US, Jake Brown was 50th and Vincent Bonacci was 75th, both with four misses.

    Full Results 

    Up Next:

    Thursday 15 Feb 12:00pm (noon, Eastern Time) Single-Mixed Relay

    Watch Live

    Tarjei Boe (NOR) and younger brother Johannes Boe (l-r) giving biathlon fans what they want: a Boedium! Benedikt Doll came through for Team Germany to take the bronze. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Vittozzi Wins First World Title, Irwin 11th in 15 k Individual

    Vittozzi Wins First World Title, Irwin 11th in 15 k Individual

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) hit the perfect 20/20 shooting score in the 15 k Individual to take her first World title. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The second week of 2024 Biathlon World Championships got underway in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic on Tuesday with the women’s 15 k Individual. The Individual is the longest race in biathlon and the only format in which athletes receive a one-minute time penalty per miss. Last year, Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) gave up the win when she missed her 20th shot and had to settle for bronze. But this time, she managed to shoot the perfect 20/20 score to win her first non-team World title. Janina Hettich-Walz (GER) also shot the perfect score to finish a surprise second, and France’s Julia Simon skied off one miss to take her fourth medal of the Championships. From the US, Deedra Irwin continued her three-year streak of top performances in the event, finishing 11th with just one miss. Chloe Levins also hit 19/20 to finish 42nd, improving her previous personal-best by one place.

    Janina Hettich-Walz (GER) could not believe her own eyes when she crossed the line in second, reaching her first podium. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Four of the top six finishers shot the perfect score, including three Germans—a fantastic showing for a team which has otherwise underwhelmed at this year’s championships. Hettich-Walz’s silver medal was her first-ever podium finish, though she has been knocking at the door recently, with two top-six flower ceremony finishes already in 2024. Everything came together for her at the right moment on Tuesday when she not only nailed 20/20 hits but also posted a personal-best tenth-ranked ski time. Fourth place finisher Selina Grotian (GER) had the biggest breakout of the day, chopping 17 places off her previous personal best of 21st! The third of the clean-shooting Germans, Vanessa Voigt, was hardly a surprise having finished fourth in the same event at the Beijing Olympics. Although she’s not in her peak skiing form, Voigt is best shooter in biathlon right now—male or female—and one of the best of all time, with a hit rate of 95%. Rounding out the Flower Ceremony, Lou Jeanmonnot overcame one miss to finish sixth.

    Deedra Irwin sets out on course in the 15 k Individual, on her way to 11th place. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    After the race, Irwin described how she managed to hit 19/20 targets for the third year in a row, having finished a historic seventh in the same event at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and 20th in the 2023 World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. “I got the miss out of the way on that first stage and then I thought, ‘Now I can clean!’” An early miss can take the edge off the psychological pressure of defending perfection that otherwise builds over the course of a race until it becomes an unbearable on the final shots. Her 28th-ranked course time (in a field of 91) also played an important role in the 11th place: “I got good splits and good advice on course,” she said. “Which reminded me to focus on my technique and not get frantic.” Since setting a World Cup personal best of eighth just before Christmas, Irwin said she’s been trying to do something special to replicate that performance, but finally in this race she felt like she was able to just do her normal thing, and that worked.

    Chloe Levins on course on her way to a new personal-best of 42nd. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Chloe Levins matched Irwin’s 19/20 shooting score, missing on the final stage. “I was a little bit frustrated about that miss on the last stage but it’s still a PB,” said Levins of her 42nd place finish. She set her previous best of 43rd in a Pursuit in December of 2022 and has been working into this season after health issues interrupted her summer and fall training. But both skiing and shooting are coming together at a good moment. While last week’s races were held in slow, slushy conditions, Levins reported that in the Individual, “the snow was much firmer so I felt like I had much more energy; it was sheer ice in some places.” As for the conditions on the range, Levins said, “We were lucky to have no wind. It was not like that earlier.” Sometimes when shooting conditions seem easy, athletes can overthink their shots and make mistakes. Levins said she did that in the Sprint when it was suddenly calm after several days of windy training, but learned from it, and was prepared today. “Shooting was so fun.”

    Deedra Irwin and US Biathlon ski technician, Federico Fontana, in the finish area celebrating Irwin’s 11th place and the team’s fast skis.

    It helped that the team had exceptionally skis today too, as reported by all four US finishers. “My skis were nuking”, said Jackie Garso, who is racing in her first World Championships and finished 84th with five misses. Coming off a personal-best Sprint in 58th last week, Tara Geraghty-Moats rode the biathlon roller-coaster to 91st with 11 misses.

    Women’s 15 k Individual Full Results

    Next Up:

    Wednesday 14 Feb 11:20 (Eastern Time) Men’s 20 k Individual

    Watch Live

    Janina Hettich-Walz (GER), Lisa Vittozzi (ITA), Julia Simon (FRA), (l-r) with their medals from the 15 k Individual at the 2024 World Championships in Nove Mesto.
  • Julia Simon and J.T. Boe Defend Pursuit Titles; Wright 12th for USA

    Julia Simon and J.T. Boe Defend Pursuit Titles; Wright 12th for USA

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    After finishing second in Saturday’s Sprint, Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) moved up into first in Sunday’s Pursuit, defending his 2023 title .

    On a rainy Sunday afternoon in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, 30,000 fans packed the Vysocina Arena for the women’s and men’s Pursuit competitions of the 2024 Biathlon World Championships. The weather has been dismal for the first five days of the event, meaning a lot of soggy boots, sink laundry, and rifle cleaning for the athletes, and long, cold, days for team staff and event organizers. But it has not dampened the spirits of the biathlon fans who continue to make the atmosphere bright.

    French teammates Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (foreground) and Julia Simon shoot head-to-head in the Pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)
    Women’s 10 k Pursuit

    Simon defends world title, Vittozzi moves up from seventh to silver, and Braisaz-Bouchet keeps her podium streak alive.

    In the women’s Pursuit, Julia Simon of France defended her 2023 World Championship Pursuit title as well as her Sprint victory from Friday. Last year, Simon started the Pursuit wearing bib 10 and overcame a deficit of more than one minute to take the gold, but today’s defense of Friday’s Sprint gold was also impressive. Only four women in the past ten years have won both the Sprint and Pursuit at the World Championships or Olympics: Marie Dorin-Habert (FRA) in 2015, Laura Dahlmeier (GER) in 2018, Tiril Eckhoff (NOR) in 2021, and Marte Olsbu-Roeiseland (NOR) in 2022.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) fights to the finish line, moving up from seventh to silver ahead of bib 2 Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (FRA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Simon started with a negligible five second advantage over teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, who is the fastest skier in the field but a slower and less-accurate shooter than Simon. A gap of nearly 40 seconds separated those two leaders from the third starter, Lou Jeanmonnot (FRA), but then six women all started within about 30 seconds. Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet matched one another’s shooting (0,1) on the first two stages to hold their lead over the chasers. But then on the third stage, Simon cleaned while Braisaz Bouchet missed two, opening the door for bib 7, Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi, to move into second with her 15/15 shooting through stage three of the race.

    Sophie Chauveau (FRA) finished fourth in the Sprint and Pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the final stage, Simon closed with the same perfect shooting we’ve now seen in three of three races at World Championships, nailing all five targets in 21.5 seconds—somewhat tame for Simon but still the fastest in the 60-person field. Behind her, Vittozzi missed her only shot of the day, creating an opening for Braisaz-Bouchet and bib 4, Sophie Chauveau. But luckily for Vittozzi, both of them missed one as well. Chauveau left the range a few seconds ahead of Braisaz-Bouchet, and for a moment it looked like the 24-year old might take her first World Championship medal after finishing a bittersweet fourth in the Sprint. But Braisaz-Bouchet out-skied Chauveau on the final lap to take the bronze, leaving Chauveau in fourth again. To put things in perspective, Chauveau won her first medal (a bronze) in January of this year, and her two fourth places so far at World’s are her next-best results.

    Deedra Irwin was the top American in the Pursuit, finishing 46th with four misses. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    From the US, Deedra Irwin started in bib 39 and fell back to place 46 with four misses. Tara Geraghty-Moats started in bib 58 but was lapped after the second shooting in her first-ever Pursuit.

    Women’s 10 k Pursuit FULL RESULTS

     

    Sturla Holm Laegreid’s (NOR) clean standing shooting earned him the silver medal in the Pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)
    Men’s 12.5 k Pursuit

    J.T. Boe shuffles the sprint podium to defend World title while the USA’s Wright and Doherty finish 12th and 26th.

    In the men’s 12.5 k Pursuit, the Norwegian podium sweep from Saturday’s Sprint grew to a monstrous top-five sweep. Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) overcame three prone misses with flawless standing shooting to win his eighth individual World title—his 34th World Championship medal. (If you include Olympic results, Sunday’s victory was Boe’s 11th title and 42nd medal.) After winning Saturday’s Sprint with his signature perfect shooting, Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR) uncharacteristically missed two in the first stage of the Pursuit but then hit the rest of his targets to fight back for the silver medal. Vetle Christiansen (NOR) led the race early on when he cleared all his prone targets and J.T. Boe and Laegreid both missed. But then two misses on his final stage set him back. He left the range a few seconds ahead of Laegreid but was caught in the final lap.

    Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen (NOR) finished third in both the Sprint and Pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The fight for the top-six flowers was marked by some surprising shooting melt-downs. Having hit all his targets through the third stage, Tarjei Boe came into the final shoot tied for second with his younger brother Johannes, just nine seconds behind race leader Christiansen and a full 30 seconds ahead of the chasing group. But he missed a heart-wrenching four out of five targets and fell to fifth. Meanwhile, his teammate Johannes Dale moved up into fourth by clearing his final five, recovering from a messy three misses on the third stage. Behind Dale and T. Boe, Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) kept his wits about him and shot 17/20 to complete the flower ceremony in sixth.

    Campbell Wright (USA) was the top American in the Pursuit finishing 12th with two misses. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    For the US, Campbell Wright in bib 11 missed one shot each in the prone stages but then cleared all 10/10 standing targets, finishing 12th. His 11th-place finish in the Sprint was a personal-best and this 12th place ties his previous personal-best. With these two results, Wright is almost guaranteed a start spot in next weekend’s 30-person Mass Start featuring the top 30 athletes of the Championships.

    Sean Doherty (USA) happy in the finish area after moving up 18 places from 44th to 26th. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Sean Doherty was one of the biggest climbers of the day, moving from 44th to 26th with just a single miss in the first standing stage. Jake Brown started 38th and finished 37th with four misses, skiing the fastest of the three Americans in the race, 1:11 off the pace set by J.T. Boe.

    Men’s 12.5 k Pursuit FULL RESULTS

    Up Next

    Tuesday 13 Feb 11:10 Women’s 15 k Individual
    Wednesday 14 Feb 11:20 Men’s 20 k Individual

    Watch Live

    Sturla Holm Laegreid, Johannes Thingnes Boe, and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen, (l-r) shuffled their podium sweep from Saturday’s Sprint in Sunday’s Pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Laegreid Vanquishes Rivals, USA’s Wright 11th in World Championships Sprint

    Laegreid Vanquishes Rivals, USA’s Wright 11th in World Championships Sprint

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR) celebrates after crossing the line in first in the Sprint at the 2024 World Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Shut out at last year’s World Championships, Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid claimed his place in the spotlight on Saturday, edging out defending champion Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) in dramatic fashion for gold in the 10 k Sprint. Vetle Christiansen completed the podium sweep for Norway, taking his first individual World Championship medal.

    Defending champion and World Cup Overall leader Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) races in front of a packed stadium on his way to a silver medal, 3.5 seconds behind Laegreid. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    Laegried’s results in the four non-team competitions at last year’s World Championships were two silvers, a bronze, and a fourth place. Thingnes Boe won all but one of those races; he took the bronze in the Mass Start, pushing Laegreid off the podium. Laegreid has ranked second in the World Cup overall score the last three years in a row—twice behind Thingnes Boe—and is currently the sixth of six Norwegians who fill the top of the rankings. It’s hard to think of Laegreid as an underdog, and yet somehow he is. But second fiddler no more, Laegreid boldly claimed first chair in the Sprint at the 2024 World Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic.

    Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen (NOR) completed the podium sweep for Norway. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Laegreid’s super power has always been his shooting, and on Saturday it earned him the gold. Wearing bib 50, he was latest of the medal favorites to start, and one by one the others in front of him missed targets. Only Sebastian Samuelsson of Sweden managed to hit 10/10, but he couldn’t quite match the speed of the Norwegians and had to settle for fifth.

    When Laegreid left the range after hitting 10/10, he had an eight second lead over J. Boe. But he couldn’t match Boe’s speed on the uphills of the final lap and with just one kilometer to go, Laegreid trailed Boe by two tenths of a second. In the final meters, with the advantage of knowing Boe’s splits, Laegreid put in a decisive finishing sprint to win by a margin of 3.5 seconds. It’s been a long time since an athlete looked so thrilled to cross the finish line in first.

    Eric Perrot (FRA) finished fourth, the closest any French man has come to the podium this winter. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Only Samuelsson and fourth-place Eric Perrot (FRA) infiltrated the otherwise Norwegian top seven. Perrot’s fourth place ties his second-best finish and is the closest any French man has come to the podium this winter. His teammates Quentin Fillon Maillet and Emilien Jacquelin finished eighth and ninth, and Samuelsson’s teammate Martin Ponsiluoma was tenth.

    Campbell Wright (USA) waves to the crowd after shooting clean and finishing with a new personal-best of 11th in the Sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Just outside the top ten, American Campbell Wright set a new personal-best of 11th with clean shooting. This is Wright’s first season competing for the US, after training with the team last season while still competing for his other nation of citizenship, New Zealand.  Wright will start Sunday’s Pursuit in bib 11 just 1:08 behind Laegreid. Teammates Jake Brown and and Sean Doherty also qualified for the Pursuit in 38th and 44th, both with three misses. Maxime Germain just missed qualification, finishing 63rd with four misses.

    Doherty expressed mixed emotions about qualifying but not with a standout result: “It was tough and although I am very much looking forward to the Pursuit,” he said. “I feel like I left a bit on the table with three misses.” He also pointed to the exciting atmosphere and success of his teammate: “The crowds were awesome and I am really proud of Campbell.”

    Sean Doherty (USA)  (background) and Campbell Wright (USA) preparing to zero their rifles before the Sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Jake Brown also expressed mixed emotions, describing how good execution doesn’t always align with a good result in biathlon. “I think I pushed pretty deep today and I’m satisfied with that. As for shooting, I was satisfied with my shooting speed; I really committed to sticking to my process, and I did that, and it was just frustrating to miss two in standing.” He went on, “I really came in with confidence. I’ll probably take the same approach in tomorrow’s race.”

    Benedikt Doll (GER) speaking with one of his staff members after a disappointing team performance in the Sprint (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The gap in ski times in the men’s Sprint was enormous, resulting in an unusually large 3:37-spread separating the top-60 Pursuit qualifiers. A typical spread is 2-2:30. When asked why he thought the spread was so large, Brown pointed to a combination of skis, conditions, and the ban of fluorinated wax products enacted this season. “There are pine needles everywhere, it’s very dirty, and there is a lot of loose, wet snow. It seems like the ski times on the first lap are somewhat normal but then they open up on the second and third laps.” In these conditions, technicians face an extra challenge of preparing skis in such a way that they repel dirt. Brown said that the US team had good skis, while many other nations struggled. The Germans, for example, who have been highly competitive all winter with three different gold medalists, did not place a single athlete in the top ten of the ski time rankings, and their best finisher in the race, Benedikt Doll, was 13th. Technicians from every team will have their work cut out for them again Sunday for both the men’s and women’s Pursuits.

    Up Next:

    Sunday 11 Feb Women’s 10 k Pursuit 08:30 (Eastern Time)
    Sunday 11 Feb Men’s 12.5 k Pursuit 11:05 (Eastern Time)

    Watch Live

    Johannes Thingnes Boe, Sturla Holm Laegreid, and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen, (l-r), celebrate their podium sweep for Norway in the Sprint at 2024 World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Historic 1-4 Sweep for France in Women’s Biathlon Sprint

    Historic 1-4 Sweep for France in Women’s Biathlon Sprint

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    France swept places 1-4 in the Sprint at the 2024 Biathlon World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Ever since France upset Norway to win the opening Mixed Relay of the 2024 Biathlon World Championships, their magnificent esprit de corps has been on display. After that race, the entire team gathered around the podium and belted “La Marseillaise” in the rain as the French flag was raised in the Vysocina Arena in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. That same winning energy pulsed through the French women’s team Friday as they delivered an historic sweep of the first four places—a feat not seen since the inaugural Women’s Biathlon World Championships in 1984 when the Soviet Union swept the 10 k Individual. (American Kari Swenson was fifth.) There were 35 finishers in that race. In Friday’s 7.5 k Sprint, The French quartet of Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Lou Jeanmonnot, and Sophie Chauveau bested a field of nearly 100.

    Early starter Julia Simon (FRA) crosses the finish line, setting the time to beat in the Women’s Sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    All eyes were on Simon, wearing bib 2, to set the time to beat for the day. After laying down a perfect anchor leg in Wednesday’s Mixed Relay, she picked up where she left off with another 10/10 performance, leaving little room for any challengers. Simon’s ski time ranked fourth and her total shooting time of 42 seconds for prone and standing was the fastest of the day. It was a dominant Sprint performance from the 2023 World Cup Overall champion, who is better known for her head-to-head racing.

    Lou Jeanmonnot (FRA) shot 9/10 to land on her first World Championships podium, taking home the bronze for France. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Another early starter, Jeanmonnot in bib 5 matched Simon’s speed on the course but lost some time to her on the range (like everyone else) and missed one target in standing, eventually finishing 40 seconds back. It seemed inevitable that other competitors would fill that gap, but as the race went on it became clear that the only athletes skiing fast enough to challenge the French women were their own teammates.

    Justin Braisaz-Bouchet (FRA) outskied the field by nearly 30 seconds to take silver despite one miss. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Out-skiing the field by over 30 seconds in Wednesday’s Mixed Relay, Braisaz-Bouchet demonstrated that she is one of very few athletes who can ski a penalty loop and still fight for gold. That scenario nearly played out in Friday’s Sprint, as Braisaz-Bouchet gapped the field by 28 seconds, missed one in prone but then hit all of her standing targets, leaving the range with just a 13-second deficit to clean-shooting Simon. She closed the gap in the final kilometers but couldn’t quite catch Simon, crossing the line just 4.9 seconds behind.

    World Cup Overall leader Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (NOR) led the race after the first shooting but then fell to 25th after a disastrous three misses in standing. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The two Italian stars, Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer, were early challengers for the podium, both showing their trademark poise on the range with 10/10 hits, but they didn’t have the ski speed to keep up with the French women and ended up seventh and tenth. Swedish sisters Hanna and Elvira Oeberg did the reverse; they skied well but both missed in standing and dropped to eighth and ninth.

    The only other athlete who could challenge Simon for the gold was World Cup Overall leader Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (NOR) in bib 26. She came through the prone shooting in the lead, 1.5 seconds ahead of Simon, but then suffered a disastrous standing bout, missing three targets and falling to 25th place—her worst result of the season.

    Sophie Chauveau (FRA) reacts to her team’s one-through-four sweep. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The podium positions seemed secure until Chauveau, wearing bib 40, nearly overtook Jeanmonnot. Chauveau found herself down in 30th after a miss in prone but then launched into podium contention with her clean standing shooting and third-ranked course time. In the finish she was a mere four seconds off the podium.

    Simon’s gold is her first Sprint podium of the season and only her second-ever Sprint victory. Braisaz-Bouchet, who skipped last season to have her first child, had never finished better than 25th in a World Championships Sprint, despite taking part in every edition since 2015 and winning a list of World Cup races and an Olympic gold medal in Beijing along the way. Jeanmonnot’s bronze is her first World Championship medal, and Chauveau’s fourth place ties her second-best career finish. She earned her first World Cup medal, a bronze, in January of this year.

    While the French women shot exceptionally well, they owe their sweep to their ski speed. Four of the top-five fastest skiers in the Sprint were French. The other was 2021 cross-country World Cup Overall Sprint champion, Anamarija Lampic of Slovenia, who missed five and finished 36th. Reflecting on the role that ski preparation played today, US Biathlon ski technician Federico Fontana said, “The dirt and the wet in Nove Mesto is always challenging. The French had incredible skis.”

    Baiba Bendika (LAT) skied the seventh-fastest course time and hit 9/10 to tie her career-best finish of fifth. (NordicFocus).

    The surprise of the day was Latvia’s Baiba Bendika, who finished fifth to match her career-best result, having given birth to her first child in October—just four months ago. She had a chance to break up the French sweep but missed her last shot. Franziska Preuss of Germany completed the Flower Ceremony, also with one standing miss.

    Irwin and Geraghty-Moats Qualify for Pursuit

    Deedra Irwin was the top American in the Sprint, finishing 39th with one miss each in prone and standing. She wrote on her Instagram account, “It isn’t what I wanted but then I realized that it is my personal best World Champs Sprint finish!” Irwin has consistently been scoring World Cup points in the top 40 this season and has the potential to move up significantly in Sunday’s Pursuit. She’ll be joined in the Pursuit for the first time by teammate Tara Geraghty-Moats, who sneaked into the top-60 qualifiers with a new personal-best of 58th.

    Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA) smiling in the finish line after setting a new personal-best of 58th to qualify for her first Pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Geraghty-Moats cited her start position as playing a role in her qualification. “I had good course conditions with the second-to-last starting bib. With the warm temperatures, I thought the course would degrade a lot by the time I raced but it didn’t.” She had the advantage of watching earlier athletes go through, and drawing on their energy. “It looked so epic. It made me super excited to go out there. With the results I’ve had this winter I didn’t think I would make the Pursuit so I just wanted to have a race where I executed my plan well.”

    Jackie Garso (USA) racing in her first World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Chloe Levins and Jackie Garso completed the US roster in Friday’s race. Levins echoed Geraghty-Moats’ comments about the atmosphere in the stadium: “The energy under the lights in Nove Mesto was electrifying tonight.” Levins, who finished 80th with two misses, is coming off a training season that was interrupted by a number of health issues. “I’m nowhere near satisfied with my result, but continue to gain great experience and feel myself racing back into shape.” Garso, competing in her first World Championships, finished 87th with three misses. She, too, was shocked by the crowds: “It’s unbelievably loud! You can’t even hear yourself breathe.”

    Full Results

    Up Next

    Saturday 10 Feb Men’s Sprint 11:05 (Eastern Time)

    Watch Here

    Julia Simon (FRA) took home her second gold of the 2024 Biathlon World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • France Snags Mixed Relay Gold Ahead of Norway at Biathlon World Championships

    France Snags Mixed Relay Gold Ahead of Norway at Biathlon World Championships

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    The start of the Mixed Relay at the 2024 Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the opening race of the 2024 Biathlon World Championships, France overcame heavy favorite Norway to take gold in the 4×6 k Mixed Relay. It was a tightly contested race with 25 nations on the start line and only 40 seconds separating the top five teams at the third exchange. On the final leg, Norway and Sweden overtook Switzerland to capture silver and bronze. The Swiss ended up a mere 1.2 seconds off the podium in fourth—their best finish ever in a World Championships Mixed Relay. Steady freezing rain did not stop 30,000 biathlon-crazed fans from packing the Vysocina Arena in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, making for an electric atmosphere on opening night.

    Germany led early in the Mixed Relay thanks to exceptional shooting by Justus Strelow and Phillip Nawrath. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The unofficial “ice breaker” of World Championships, the Mixed Relay tends to be chaotic and full of surprises, and today’s race was no exception. Ranked sixth going into the race, the home Czech team met disaster on the very first visit to the shooting range when Michal Krcmar incurred a penalty loop and found himself in second to last, a full minute behind the leaders. Krcmar exchanged in 21st, two minutes back. Third-ranked Italy fared even worse: Didier Bionaz incurred two penalty loops in his standing shoot and tagged off in 23rd. Meanwhile, 19th-ranked Kazakhstan and 17th-ranked United States tagged in fifth and sixth, thanks to world-class performances from Alexandr Mukhin (KAZ) and Vincent Bonacci (USA).

    Tarjei Boe (NOR) is followed by Vincent Bonacci (USA) in the first leg of the Mixed Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The big surprise on the second leg was that Norway did not come through on top. Norwegian brothers Tarjei and Johannes Boe—ranked third and first in the men’s World Cup overall standings—are such a powerhouse combination that they were all but guaranteed to deliver a Norwegian lead at the half-way point; however, they both lost time on the range that they were unable to recover on skis. Germans Justus Strelow and Phillip Nawrath combined to put 48 seconds into the Norwegians just in shooting time. At the halfway point, Germany led, with France eight seconds back and Norway another twenty behind. The US and Canada tagged in ninth and tenth, just 15 seconds outside the top six.

    Franziska Preuss (GER) fell from first to fifth after incurring a penalty loop in her standing shoot in the Mixed Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Anyone who bet on the Norwegians for gold would have felt uneasy going into the third leg, with the German and especially the French women’s teams both very strong on paper. But it was a rollercoaster for all. France’s Justine Braisaz-Bouchet went into the penalty loop in prone and dropped to fifth place, giving Franziska Preuss of Germany a 39-second advantage. Then their fortunes switched in standing when Preuss went into the penalty loop! Braisaz used a single spare and out-skied the field in leg three by a whopping 33 seconds, making an enormous comeback for France and tagging in first. At the third exchange, only eight seconds separated the top three teams, with Switzerland moving up into second and Norway hanging in third. After a quiet first half, Sweden’s Hanna Oeberg brought her team within striking distance on the third leg, tagging her younger sister Elvira in fourth, just 14 seconds off the podium. Germany fell to fifth. Both the USA and Canada held in the top ten.

    Sweden’s Elvira Oeberg out-skied Switzerland’s Amy Baserga to take bronze in the Mixed Relay. (Photo NordicFocus)

    In the final leg, Julia Simon left no room for any contest, blazing down all her targets, taking a bow, and then skiing to the finish with a comfortable 45-second lead for France. Switzerland’s Amy Baserga performed flawlessly under pressure, shooting ten out of ten, but was overtaken on her first loop by the World Cup overall leader Ingrid Tandrevold of Norway and then on the last loop by Elvira Oeberg, who captured the bronze for Sweden by just one second.

    Julia Simon (FRA) takes a bow on the shooting range after clinching gold for France with her flawless final shoot. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The US stayed in the top ten until the very last loop when the Italians came clawing their way back from the dead and pushed the US down into 11th. Canada finished 13th, just in front of the Czech Republic.

    Next up is the women’s 7.5 k Sprint on Friday, February 9th.

    Full Results

    The winning team from France from left to right: Eric Perrot, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Justine Braisaz, and Julia Simon. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Up Next: Biathlon World Championships

    Up Next: Biathlon World Championships

    FasterSkier’s Coverage of the Biathlon World Championships is made possible through the generous support of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center: New England’s finest snowmaking, world class race venues and touring trails, healthy food in abundance, comfortable accommodations at Craftsbury:  Sports, Sustainability, Stewardship.

     

    Fans fill the trail-side stands during the 2023 Biathlon World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The 2024 Biathlon World Championships open on Wednesday, February 7 in the countryside town of Nove Mesto na Morave in the Czech Republic. While not widely known as a winter wonderland, Nove Mesto boasts some of the most impressive crowds on the international biathlon circuit. Organizers have already sold out the 30,000-capacity stadium and bleacher-lined course for the opening and closing weekends and expect to sell a total of 200,000 tickets during the 12-day event. For those not lucky enough to join the festivities in person, here’s a brief viewer’s guide.

    Athletes ski into the shooting range of the Vysocina Arena during the 2023 Biathlon World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)
    How to Watch?

    All races will be streamed live for free with English commentary on a brand new digital platform: Eurovision Sport. Replays are available there as well. The full event schedule is available here automatically adjusted to your time zone.

    Why Watch?

    Wednesday’s Mixed Relay features 25 teams from 25 nations! While the podium places in most World Championship competitions will likely be contested by the “big five” biathlon nations—Norway, Germany, France, Sweden, and Italy—the field is deep and diverse and will inevitably deliver some surprises. Watch for the drama!

    Watch to be inspired by the stories of set backs and success that take shape over the course of the nearly two-week event. The series of 12 races in 12 days (a maximum of seven for any given athlete) is an odyssey for athletes and viewers alike. It starts with the chaos of the opening Mixed Relay. The most tense moments of pressure for perfection come in the Sprint, which serves as the qualifier for the Pursuit and sets the tone for each athlete’s Championships. Fatigue peaks in the second week with the long Individual competitions, before a reprise of team relays and finally the grand finale Mass Starts featuring the 30 best athletes. While each competition is entertaining in its own right, viewers will be rewarded for following the arc of the full Championships.

    Finally, it’s worth watching this event just to see the stadium atmosphere. It’s shaping up to be one of the most well-attended Nordic skiing events ever.

    Start of the Single-Mixed Relay at the 2023 Biathlon World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)
    What to Watch?

    Relays, Pursuits, and Mass Starts are head-to-head races that promise high drama and are easy to follow for new fans. The Sprint and Individual test the composure of athletes on the range, as the podium almost always demands perfection. The full event schedule is below (Eastern Time):

    07 Feb 11:20 4x7k Mixed Relay (M+W)
    09 Feb 11:20 Women 7.5k Sprint
    10 Feb 11:05 Men 10k Sprint
    11 Feb 08:30 Women 10k Pursuit
    11 Feb 11:05 Men 12.5k Pursuit
    13 Feb  11:10 Women 15k Individual
    14 Feb 11:20 Men 20k Individual
    15 Feb 12:00 Single Mixed Relay (M+W)
    17 Feb 07:45 Women 4x6k Relay
    17 Feb 10:30 Men 4×7.5k Relay
    18 Feb 08:15 Women 12.5k Mass Start
    18 Feb 10:30 Men 15k Mass Start

    Deedra Irwin (USA) shooting on lane 5 during the Mixed Relay at the 2024 Biathlon World Cup in Antholz, Italy. (Photo: NordicFocus)
    Who to Watch?

    The American duo of Deedra Irwin and Campbell Wright is likely to get some TV time in the Single-Mixed Relay after fighting for a podium finish in the most recent running of the event in late January. Irwin set a new personal-best World Cup result of eighth place in a Sprint in December and will be looking to improve on that in Nove Mesto. She has hit 19/20 targets in the 15 k Individual in her last two Championships; if she can do that again this year she’ll have shot at the podium thanks to improved ski speed.

    The Americans are also dark-horse contenders in the Men’s Relay. Led by veterans Sean Doherty and Jake Brown, the team has been boosted by a cohort of precocious young talents, including two medalists from last winter’s Junior World Championships: Wright and Maxime Germain. Vincent Bonnacci rounds out this year’s World Championships roster, coming fresh off an impressive 6th place at the European Championships. The team has shown glimmers of greatness this season but has yet to perform to its full potential. This could be their moment to shine.

    A pack of Norwegian men at the front of the Mass Start at the 2024 Biathlon World Cup in Antholz, Italy. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Looking at the international field, Norwegian superstar Johannes Thingnes Boe has won the World Cup overall title five times in the past six years and is threatening records set by biathlon legends Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (NOR) and more recently, Martin Fourcade (FRA). But he’s not the only Norwegian to watch; six of them fill the first six places in the men’s World Cup overall score. Always in the shadow of Norway, the Germans have quietly made their own statement, placing five different men on the podium this season including three different winners. There will be good fights for medals between these two teams and some challengers from Sweden and Italy, but it’s fair to expect a frequent playing of the Norwegian national anthem.

    The women’s podium is more widely contested. Fifteen women from six nations have landed on the podium this winter. France alone has had three different gold medalists. Lena Haecki of Switzerland broke through the dominance of the big nations with her first gold medal just a few weeks ago. And with more than ten women averaging over 90% hits on the range, the standard of competition is exceptionally high. All of this will make for some exciting biathlon.

    It all gets underway Wednesday at 11:20 Eastern Time.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) prepares for the opening event of the 2024 Biathlon World Championships during official training on Tuesday, February 6 in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Hanna Oeberg of Sweden Claims Women’s Mass Start Title, Lunder 7th

    Hanna Oeberg of Sweden Claims Women’s Mass Start Title, Lunder 7th

     

    The start of the 12.5 k Women’s Mass Start at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    On the final day of the 2023 Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, Germany, the top thirty women in the world took to the course for the 12.5 k Mass Start. For some, it was the seventh race in twelve days. Under steady rain, the top fifteen athletes from the World Cup Overall standings plus the medalists and other athletes with the most cumulative points from the World Championships Sprint, Pursuit, and Individual races battled through four shooting stages and five laps up the Birxsteig climb. Of the thirty women on the start list, 11 had won a race, 19 had been on a podium, and a couple others had a personal best of fourth, including Emma Lunder of Canada.

    Thirty competitors head out on the first of five 2.5 k laps in the Women’s Mass Start at Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The race was wide open, but eventually three familiar faces filtered to the top. After Sebastian Samuelsson and Martin Ponsiluoma unexpectedly swept gold and silver for Sweden in the morning’s Men’s Mass Start, Hanna Oeberg made it a Swedish double, winning the Women’s Mass Start by just a few seconds over Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold of Norway and Julia Simon of France. While there was little doubt that the name “Oeberg” would be at the top of the results sheet at these Championships, most people would have bet on Hanna’s younger sister, Elvira, who is ranked second in the World Cup Overall behind Simon. Unfortunately, Elvira got sick at the beginning of the Championships and only raced the Sprint and Women’s Relay. Hanna, ranked tenth in the Overall, stepped up in a big way to win both the 15km Individual and the Mass Start, becoming the only woman at these Championships to win two individual titles.

    Wearing bib 11 in the Mass Start, Anais Chevalier-Bouchet (FRA) shot clean through the first three stages and led most of the race. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The Mass Start was tight from start to finish. At the first shooting stage, 20 out of 30 competitors shot clean and left the range within 15 seconds of one another. Oeberg and Simon both missed one and left the range together in 21st and 22nd. As Anais Chevalier of France set the pace at the front, Oeberg and Simon skied the fastest second loop to reconnect with the lead pack before the second shooting. At Shooting 2 Chevalier stayed clear but Oeberg and Simon both missed again, this time joined by Tandrevold and Lunder. None of the them were able to reach the lead pack before the third shooting, but they were all well within striking distance. Approaching Shooting 3, the top 21 women were all within 30 seconds.

    Julia Simon (FRA) standing on Lane 1 for Shooting 4 during the Women’s Mass Start at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    As is often the case, Shooting 3—the first of two standing stages in the Mass Start—proved decisive. Chevalier, Simon, Oeberg, and Tandrevold all cleaned and took places one through four at the front of the race. Lunder missed once more and found herself in 17th with a 50-second deficit. Simon and Chevalier pulled into the final shooting together, with Tandrevold and Oeberg following 16 seconds later. The two French women incurred one miss each, leaving the door open for the Scandinavian chasers. Both Oeberg and Tandrevold capitalized on the moment, hitting five for five! Oeberg led out of the range with Tandrevold four seconds behind. Simon and Chevalier exited the penalty loop together another four seconds behind Tandrevold. The chase was on. Lunder cleaned her last stage as well, jumping from 17th to seventh.

    Hanna Oeberg (SWE) celebrates her victory as she crosses the finish line in the Women’s Mass Start at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Over a grueling last 2.5 k loop, Simon caught Tandrevold, but then Tandrevold put in a hard push on the last climb and dropped Simon, coming within seconds of Oeberg. But Oeberg didn’t give an inch to Tandrevold, matching her course time over the last loop down to the tenth of a second. With a strong finish, Oeberg claimed her fourth medal and second individual gold of these Championships. Tandrevold collapsed in tears of joy at the finish. Having struggled mightily from the standing position during these Championships, hitting a miserable 60%, she made a total turnaround in the Mass Start, hitting 10/10 in standing to capture the silver medal. Simon comfortably held off Chevalier to claim the bronze.

    Emma Lunder (CAN) leads a pack of eight people into the finish lanes in a fight for sixth place. Marketa Davidova (CZE), blurred in the foreground, catches her breath after claiming fifth thanks to a fast last loop. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Behind Chevalier, the race for the last two places in the top-six Flower Ceremony was even more intense. Only twelve seconds separated places five through thirteen. Samuela Comola (ITA) left the range in fifth, having added another 20 hits to her now 50-shot streak. She was hunted down by Marketa Davidova (CZE), Dorothea Wierer (ITA), Emma Lunder (CAN), and Karoline Knotten (NOR), who all had one or two misses and were skiing faster than Comola. Davidova made an early move and passed Comola to secure fifth. With less than 1 k to go, Lunder and Knotten dropped Wierer, and with Lunder pushing the pace, the two caught and passed Comola just before the finishing lanes. In a photo finish, Knotten out-lunged Lunder to take sixth by one tenth of a second. Just behind them, six athletes more crossed within three seconds.

    Wearing bib 28, Karoline Knotten (NOR) out-lunges Emma Lunder of Canada to take sixth in the Mass Start at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    With the conclusion of the Mass Starts, the 2023 Biathlon World Championships have come to a close. Biathletes now have one week to rest before they head to Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic for the first of three World Cup stages in the final trimester of competition.

    Biathlon World Championships Women’s Mass Start RESULTS

  • Sweden’s Samuelsson Clinches World Championship Men’s Mass Start Gold

    Sweden’s Samuelsson Clinches World Championship Men’s Mass Start Gold

     

    Start of the of the Men’s 15km Mass Start at IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: Nordic Focus)

    In spite of steady rain, over twenty thousand spectators packed the stadium and lined the course in Oberhof, Germany on Sunday for the grand finale of the Biathlon World Championships: the Mass Start. The 15 k  race format is a head-to-head battle of ski speed and shooting composure featuring the top thirty athletes in the world. At World Championships, start berths are awarded to the top fifteen athletes in the World Cup Overall standings, plus the medalists and other athletes with the most cumulative points from the World Championships Sprint, Pursuit, and Individual races. With four shooting stages—twice prone and then twice standing—the Mass Start almost always comes down to the final meters.

    Wearing the yellow and red leader bib, Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), leads the the Men’s Mass Start out of the stadium at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Going into Sunday’s Mass Start, Johannes Thinges Boe of Noway was the heavy favorite. Boe had already taken a medal in every event during these Championships, winning five golds and sweeping the individual events before sliding to silver with his Norwegian comrades in the Men’s Relay. In the Mass Start, Boe had a chance to take a record-breaking sixth gold medal in one Championships. But two Swedes got in his way. Sebastian Samuelsson shot the perfect 20/20 to take his first gold medal of the Championships, having collected three bronzes from the Pursuit, Individual, and Men’s Relay. His teammate, Martin Ponsiluoma (SWE) sped to silver despite two penalties. Boe missed three and had to settle for the bronze, still becoming the first man to win seven medals in seven events at one World Championships.

    Shooting 1 of the Men’s Mass Start at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. Athletes shoot on the lane corresponding to their bib number in the first shooting stage of the Mass Start. For the remaining stages, they file in. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    For the first three shooting stages of the race, Johannes Boe held onto tenuous control over his medal chances. In each of the first two stages he missed one, sending him into the 150 meter penalty loop for a set-back of about 23 seconds. But on each three kilometer ski loop he was able to make up that time, catching back up to the lead pack before the range. Those familiar with biathlon know how unusual it is to see an athlete ski off a whole penalty loop in just three kilometers, but Boe’s ski speed is on another level relative to the rest of the field. Finally on the third stage Boe hit 5/5, leaving the range with a nine-second lead over Sebastian Samuelsson of Sweden, who had shot clean up until that point. Samuelsson and Boe were chased by their teammates, Martin Ponsiluoma (SWE) and Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR). Boe arrived at the final shooting with an advantage of 11 seconds over Samuelsson, 17 over Ponsiluoma, and 28 over Laegreid. The medals were very much up for grabs.

    Bib 1 Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) catches up to bib 4 Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) as they approach the shooting range for the third shooting stage during the Mass Start at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The standing shooting statistics for these four athletes are as follows: Boe (NOR) 89%, Laegreid (NOR) 83%, Samuelsson (SWE) 77%, Ponsiluoma (SWE) 75%. So the Norwegians looked to have an advantage. But statistics reflect the past not the future. Boe missed one, opening the door for his pursuers, and as he rounded the penalty loop he would be deflated to see both Swedes heading directly out onto the course with zero penalties. Boe followed six seconds behind. Laegreid had a chance to close the gap but missed one as well and found himself a distant 28 seconds behind Boe. A final three kilometer sprint would decide the medals.

    Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) hit 20/20 to set himself up for a win in the Mass Start at the IBU World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    With only six seconds separating him from the gold medal position going into the final loop, Boe seemed poised to capture his sixth gold. But Samuelsson made an aggressive move right away out of the stadium up the Birxsteig climb. Cresting the hill at the 13.9 k split time, Samuelsson had gapped Ponsiluoma and extended his lead over Boe to a full 16 seconds. Demoralized and exhausted from playing catchup throughout the first half of the race, Boe let the gold and silver medalists slip into the distance while he maintained a comfortable cushion over fourth-place Laegreid.

    Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) rests his head in his hands in disbelief as he crosses the finish line to take his first World Championships gold medal. (Photo: Nordic Focus)

    Samuelsson didn’t let up, eventually crossing the finish line nine seconds ahead of Ponsiluoma and 38 ahead of Boe. At 25 years old, Samuelsson captured his first-ever medal in the Mass Start format, and his first World Championship gold. Ponsiluoma repeated his silver-medal performance from last year’s Olympic Mass Start in Beijing. Though Boe didn’t manage to sweep the entire World Championships with seven gold medals, he still made history with five golds, one silver, and one bronze—the best record of any athlete in Biathlon World Championships history. After landing on the podium in every prior race at these Championships, Laegreid settled for fourth. Andrejs Rastorgujevs of Latvia and Quentin Fillon Maillet of France completed the top-six Flower Ceremony.

    In a gracious show of sportsmanship, bronze medalist and race favorite, Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), helps gold medalist Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) to his feet in the finish area of the Mass Start as silver medalist Martin Ponsiluoma (SWE) looks on. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Biathletes will now rest up for a week before heading to Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic, for the first of three World Cup stages in the final trimester of competition.

    Biathlon World Championships Men’s Mass Start RESULTS

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) with his medal haul from the  IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • Italian Women Make History in Exquisite World Championships Relay

    Italian Women Make History in Exquisite World Championships Relay

     

    Fans line the famous Birxsteig climb during the Women’s Relay at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    If there’s one competition to watch from the 2023 Biathlon World Championships, it’s the Women’s 4 x 6 k Relay. (Replay available here.) In a dazzling display of biathlon mastery, the Italian quartet knocked down 40 targets with 42 bullets, excelling one after another under pressure in difficult conditions to capture Italy’s first-ever Women’s Relay title. The “Blues” have been investing heavily in biathlon development with their sites set on the 2026 home Olympic Games, and it shows. But they didn’t run away with the win; it came down to a nail-biter final shooting, pitting Lisa Vittozzi of Italy against hometown favorite, Denise Herrmann of Germany. Vittozzi’s fast and flawless shooting clinched the win in spectacular fashion, while Herrmann faltered but held onto silver for Germany over third-place Sweden.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) and Denise Herrmann-Wick (GER), (l-r) shooting head to head for the gold medal in the final shooting stage of the IBU World Championships Women’s Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    After gusty winds caused drama at the shooting range in Saturday morning’s Men’s Relay, the conditions for the Women’s Relay eased a bit, though the compromise for lighter wind was heavier rain. On the first leg, two women shot clean: Vanessa Voigt of Germany’s 2022 Olympic bronze medal-winning relay squad, and Samuela Comola of Italy. Coming into these Championships, Comola’s best World Cup finish was 20th, but as one of three women to hit 20/20 in last Wednesday’s 15 k Individual she claimed a new personal best of fourth. Continuing her breakout week and clean shooting streak, she arrived at the first exchange in the lead pack with Sweden, Czech Republic, and Norway. Thirteen teams tagged within one minute, with the top seven all within 30 seconds.

    Vanessa Voigt (GER), Samuela Comola (ITA), and Lou Jeanmannot (FRA) in the first leg of the Women’s Relay at IBU World Championships in Oberhof. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the second leg, two-time World Cup Overall winner Dorothea Wierer of Italy kept a low profile at first,  hanging onto the back of a four-person lead pack. But in the standing shooting stage she used just one spare on Lane 4 and passed everyone to blow open a 26-second lead. France went into the penalty loop and never quite recovered, eventually finishing fourth. Norway suffered three penalty loops and fell even farther back, taking sixth in the end. Sweden had two penalty loops but made gains in the second half of the race to stay in the mix. From this point on, Italy never gave up the lead.

    Dorothea Wierer (ITA) used just one spare in standing to take the lead at the halfway point in the Women’s Relay at IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    At the halfway point, 32-year-old Wierer (ITA) handed off to her 21-year-old teammate, Hannah Auchentaller, who was originally named to the Italian World Championships team as an alternate and has only competed in a handful of World Cup races, including just one relay. No one knew what to expect from the young athlete in this high-stakes situation. Chloe Chevalier of France caught Auchentaller from 20 seconds back in the approach to the prone shooting, but Auchentaller confidently skied her own pace and kept her calm on the range. She cleaned her targets with no spares, skiing away with a 30-second advantage while Chevalier used all three spares. Arriving on Lane 1 for standing, all eyes and cameras were on Auchentaller. In the moment when it counted most, she performed brilliantly, using only one spare to hit her targets like a seasoned professional. After leading the whole third leg, Auchentaller handed off five seconds ahead of Germany.

    Hannah Auchentaller (ITA) setting up in the standing position in the Women’s Relay at the IBU World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    The last leg was set up perfectly for a high-octane head-to-head battle between two superstars: Lisa Vittozzi of Italy and Denise Herrmann of Germany. Both women are ranked in the top five of the World Cup Overall: third-ranked Vittozzi has a slightly higher shooting percentage, while fifth-ranked Herrmann tends to be slightly faster on the tracks. Both athletes cleaned prone, but Vittozzi did so five seconds faster than Herrmann. Statistics played out as Herrmann caught Vittozzi on the tracks and led into the final shooting. In yet another display of incredible composure and expertise from the Italian team, Vittozzi blazed through her five targets with five hits in 20 seconds. Herrmann hesitated after the third hit and then missed the final two shots, eventually needing 53 seconds to clear her targets with two spares. Though she avoided the penalty loop she left the range 31 seconds behind Vittozzi.

    Denise Herrmann-Wick (GER) chasing down Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) before the final shooting in the Women’s Relay at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Vittozzi crossed the finish line in triumph and was met by her three ecstatic teammates—the new World Champions. Herrmann, her teammates, and the German crowd all seemed satisfied with their silver medal performance, and Hanna Oeberg (SWE) brought home the bronze for Sweden, perhaps a slight disappointment for the race favorites, but a World Championship medal nonetheless. Julia Simon of France crossed in fourth, looking underwhelmed.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) celebrates as she crosses the finish line to claim Italy’s first ever gold in a Women’s Relay at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    From North America, Canada finished 11th and the US was 15th. Canada’s Nadia Moser had a solid first leg to tag in ninth just 46 seconds out of the lead. For the US, Deedra Irwin struggled on both the range and the tracks, using all six spares and incurring one penalty loop to hand off in 15th, 2:10 back. Joanne Reid (USA) moved the team up to 12th while Canada fell to 15th at the halfway point. On the third leg, Chloe Levins (USA) held onto twelfth and tagged twenty seconds ahead of Canada in 13th. Skiing the anchor leg for team USA, Kelsey Dickinson dropped down to 15th, while Canada’s Emma Lunder finished strong, bringing the Canadians up to 11th.

    Joanne Reid (USA) brought the US from 15th two 12th in the second leg of the Women’s Relay at the IBU World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    The Canadians had a final shooting score of 1 (penalty loop) +10 (spare rounds), while the US had 1+15. The winners from Italy had 0+2, highlighting the importance of the shooting and the exceptional caliber of their performance. Though it wasn’t a day to write home about for either North American team, US Biathlon Team Head Coach and proud father, Armin Auchentaller of Italy, certainly had reason to celebrate. His daughter and her three teammates were simply superb.

    Dorothea Wierer (ITA), Hannah Auchentaller (ITA), Lisa Vittozzi (ITA), Samuela Comola (ITA), (l-r) celebrating Italy’s first ever gold medal in the Women’s Relay at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof,Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    IBU World Championships Women’s Relay RESULTS

  • France upsets Norway in Biathlon World Championships Men’s Relay

    France upsets Norway in Biathlon World Championships Men’s Relay

    Fans jockey for a spot on the famous Birxsteig climb in Oberhof, Germany during the Men’s Relay at Biathlon World Championships. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Coming into this race, the Norwegian team of Vetle Christiansen, Sturla Holm Laegreid, Tarjei Boe, and younger brother Johannes Boe, had never lost a relay. But the windy range and the pressure on the Norwegians to carry Johannes Boe to his sixth straight gold medal of the 2023 Championships proved too much for the team to handle. Already one minute behind in 12th place after Christiansen’s lead leg, the team played catch-up for for the rest of the race, always taking two steps forward, one step back. They consistently made up time on the ski course only to falter at critical moments on the range. A record 15.9-second clean shooting by Johannes Boe on the final stage secured silver, but France was already well on their way to the finish with a 30-second lead. The Swedes outpaced an incredible performance by the Czech men to take the bronze.

    The French quartet of Quentin Fillon Maillet, Emilien Jacquelin, Fabien Claude, and Antonin Guigonnat, (l-r) celebrate in the finish area after upsetting Norway to take gold in the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    After a week of uncharacteristically calm and clear skies, the traditional Oberhof weather set in on Saturday for the men’s and women’s relays. Race organizers issued a warning about potential race cancellation due to forecasted winds of 85 kph, but when gusts seemed safe and manageable early Saturday morning, they made the call to go ahead as scheduled. Fog and light rain added to the quintessential Oberhof feel. For the teams and the 30,000 spectators who packed venue, these conditions may not have been welcome but they were expected.

    Start of the Men’s Relay at IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    France got off to a magnificent start with Antonin Guigonnat, who shot competently through challenging conditions while his main rivals from Norway and Sweden used spare after spare, with Sweden incurring a penalty loop. After Shooting 2, Norway was in 16th and Sweden in 19th out of 22 nations. Guigonnat left the range in fifth but made his way to the front of the pack in time for the first exchange. Matching Guigonnat’s pace, Michal Krcmar of the Czech Republic tagged in second, setting the tone for what would be a record-tying performance for his nation. Sebastian Stalder of Switzerland was the only athlete on the first leg to shoot clean through both stages with no spares, and left the range in first but was caught by France and the Czech Republic on the way to the exchange. The German home team tagged in fourth and Canada’s Christian Gow put in an excellent first leg, using just two spares to tag in 5th. Norway tagged in 12th, 59.2 back, while Sweden was in 18th, 1:21 back. One minute is certainly not insurmountable in a relay that takes over an hour, especially for the star-studded Norwegian men’s team, but it was not the start they hoped for.

    Shooting 1 of the Men’s Relay at the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Tarjei Boe’s ski speed in the second leg gave Norway a chance. Coming into the range for Shooting 4, Boe had reduced the gap from one minute to only 36 seconds, but facing high winds, he shot slowly and incurred a very costly penalty loop, leaving the range 1:26 behind. He wasn’t alone—twelve teams had penalty loops on that stage and the standings got completely shuffled. Jeremy Finello of Switzerland, who had skied into the range in first, missed all five shots and hit only one spare, incurring a devastating four penalty loops. Czech and France got away unscathed, breaking open a lead of over a minute as they skied together to the second exchange. Sweden tagged in third, Italy and Norway tagged together in fourth and fifth, and thanks to a fifth-ranked second leg by Paul Schommer (USA), the Americans found themselves in sixth at the halfway point

    Paul Schommer (USA) tags Maxime Germain (USA) in sixth place at the halfway point of the IBU World Championships Men’s Relay in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    On the third leg, Sturla Holm Laegreid continued like his teammate Tarjei Boe, making headway on skis but failing to capitalize on the range. He too incurred a penalty loop in standing. But the French leader did as well, so the gap held steady around one minute. While everyone focussed on the French and Norwegian favorites, Jakub Stvrtecky of Czech caught and passed France’s Emilien Jaqueline to take the lead and tag in first place with just one leg to go.

    Jakub Stvrtecky (CZE) celebrates after tagging in the lead at the third exchange in the IBU World Championships Men’s Relay. (NordicFocus)

    World Cup Overall leader Johannes Boe (NOR) took to the course 49 seconds behind Czech, 39 behind France, and just 1 second ahead of Sweden. While Boe has superhuman skiing capacity at the moment, he was up against very worthy adversaries: last year’s Overall winner, Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA), and two-time individual bronze medalist at these Championships, Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE). Twenty-two-year-old Jonas Marecek for the Czech Republic was by far the underdog among the leaders, but he had a significant lead.

    Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA) on the range in the final shooting stage of the IBU World Championships Men’s Relay in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Boe made time on the Czech and French teams, coming within 31 seconds of the lead as they approached the range for Shooting 7. But in a decisive moment, Boe needed all three spares, while Fillon Maillet and Samuelsson each used just one. France’s lead extended once again to almost a minute, and Norway left the range a mere five seconds ahead of Sweden. Czech’s Maracek incurred two penalty loops and fell out of the medal positions to fourth. Pushing hard on the course once again, Boe reduced the gap to 37 seconds, but it wasn’t enough. In the final shooting, Fillon Maillet hit all five targets with no spares and no hesitation in less than twenty seconds. Even Boe’s sub-16 second finale couldn’t overcome the thirty second gap. Fillon Maillet skied to a very sweet victory– his first of these Championships. Sitting comfortably in the silver medal position, Boe conserved energy on his last loop in preparation for Sunday’s Mass Start. Sebastian Samuelsson crossed the line in third to take bronze for Sweden. Czech finished fourth, tying their best-ever World Championship result.

    Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) follows Johannes Boe (NOR) into the stadium in the IBU World Championships Men’s Relay in Oberhof. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    From North America, Canada got off to a great start with Christian Gow leaving Shooting 2 in third and tagging in fifth at the first exchange. Adam Runnalls (CAN) and Logan Pletz (CAN) each incurred a penalty loop on legs two and three for Canada, so the team was in 15th at the third exchange. But anchor Trevor Kiers (CAN) pulled off the fifth-ranked last leg to move the  the team back to 11th at the finish.

    Adam Runnalls (CAN) follows Johannes Kuehn (GER) on course in the IBU World Championships Men’s Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    For the US, Sean Doherty got off to an underwhelming start, using three spares in the first shooting stage to find himself separated from the pack. But in leg two, when wind gusts derailed many of the frontrunner teams, Paul Schommer (USA) used just two spares to tag junior athlete Maxime Germain (USA) in sixth at the halfway point. Germain suffered two penalty loops in standing and tagged Vincent Bonacci in 11th, who held the position until getting passed by Canada’s Kiers on the last loop to finish 12th. Both Germain and Bonacci made their World Cup debuts this winter and are competing in their inaugural World Championships. 2022 Olympic Team member Jake Brown got sick in the first week of February, sadly ending his Championship hopes, but opening the door for these younger athletes to get valuable experience. The US team has been plagued by illness this winter, making top performances hard to come by. But as the World Championships come to a close, the team looks ahead to opportunities at the three remaining World Cup stages in the final trimester of the season.

    Biathlon World Championships Men’s Relay RESULTS

  • Norway Golden in World Championship Single-Mixed Relay Thriller

    Norway Golden in World Championship Single-Mixed Relay Thriller

    The start of the Single-Mixed Relay at IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    Twenty seven nations took part in the Single-Mixed Relay today at Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof, Germany, but none could match the star power of Norwegian duo, Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Johannes Thignes Boe. They teamed up to win Boe’s fifth straight gold medal at the 2023 Championships, and Olsbu’s record-breaking 13th World Championship gold. But it did not come easily.

    The first shooting stage of the Single-Mixed Relay at the IBU World Championships. On Lane 11, Lisa Vittozzi is already getting up, having shot faster than anyone else. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Though Norway were heavy favorites coming into the race, nothing is certain in biathlon, least of all in the Single-Mixed Relay. The event combines the performances of one woman and one man who each ski two short biathlon races, tagging off in between. Shooting accuracy plays an outsized role in the Single-Mixed Relay because the ski loop is only 1.5 k; there is relatively little distance over which to recover lost time. Shooting speed is also critical. In all biathlon relays, athletes can use up to three spare rounds per stage to hit their five targets; even fast shooters need about seven seconds to load each spare round so it pays to hit all five on the first pass.

    Tommaso Giacomel (ITA) leading David Komatz (AUT) in the IBU World Championships Single-Mixed Relay in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    During the first 33 minutes of the race leading up to the final shooting, Norway was only in the lead for about four. The rest of the time, Italy and Austria set the pace. A decisive moment occurred at Shooting 6, the final stage for the women, when Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi and Austria’s Lisa Hauser both missed and Roeiseland went clean. Roeiseland tagged the unbeatable Boe in first, setting Norway up for a near certain victory. Boe arrived at the second-to-last shooting bout with a ten second lead. But instead of his typical fast and clean shooting, he missed three from the magazine and one of the spares, sending himself into the penalty loop! The race was suddenly open again. Tommasso Giacomel (ITA) and David Komatz (AUT) capitalized on Boe’s mistakes, leaving the range together with an 11 second advantage over the Norwegian.

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) and David Komatz (AUT), (l-r) in the final shooting stage of the IBU World Championships Single-Mixed Relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Boe shifted into another gear to catch Komatz and Giacomel on course. He let Komatz lead into the range, putting the much less-experienced Austrian on Lane 1 for the final shooting. Komatz handled the pressure brilliantly, using only one spare, but Boe was already gone. He had cleared his five targets in just 17.8 seconds. Giacomal, who maintained his composure so beautifully to secure silver for Italy in the final stage of last week’s Mixed Relay, couldn’t repeat his performance today and ended up with two penalty loops. He got extremely lucky, as nearly all the teams behind him also shot penalty loops, so he didn’t lose a single place.

    Paul Schommer (USA) follows Flourent Claude (BEL) in the stadium at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Eleven of the 21 teams that had not been lapped by that point in the race did at least one penalty loop on the final stage, in part due to pressure distractions, but also due to wind gusts. Unfortunately, the US was one of them. Paul Schommer was shooting on Lane 10 when he missed four from his magazine, but managed to recover well by hitting all three spares to incur just one penalty loop. Schommer and teammate Deedra Irwin finished 11th, just two seconds behind Finland.

    Deedra Irwin (USA), leads the chase pack into the stadium during the IBU World Championships Single-mixed relay. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Canadians Emma Lunder and Adam Runnalls were down in 18th at the second exchange but with a solid second half they moved up to 13th.

    Single-Mixed Relay medalists , (l-r): David Komatz (AUT), Lisa Theresa Hauser (AUT), Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR), Lisa Vittozzi (ITA), Tommaso Giacomel (ITA). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Biathlon World Championships Single-Mixed Relay RESULTS

    UP NEXT:

    Saturday at 5:45AM Eastern Time: Men’s 4 x 7.5k Relay
    Saturday at 9:00AM Eastern Time: Women’s 4 x 6k Relay
    Sunday at 6:30AM Eastern Time: Men’s 15k Mass Start
    Sunday at 9:30AM Eastern Time: Women’s 12.5 Mass Start

    Watch live here.

     

  • Biathlon World Championships: Oeberg Claims Individual Title; Irwin and Lunder top-25

    Biathlon World Championships: Oeberg Claims Individual Title; Irwin and Lunder top-25

    Ever since Hanna Oeberg burst onto the podium for the first time, winning Olympic gold in the 15km Individual at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, she has been a consistent force in the event. She defended her title at the 2019 World Championships, just missed the podium in fourth in 2020, and took silver in 2021. After faltering slightly in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing with a 16th place finish, Oeberg came back today to win her third Championship-level gold, in spite of one miss. Oeberg’s teammate, Linn Persson, shot 20/20 for the silver medal, and Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi missed only her last shot to finish third.

    Medalists in the IBU World Championships 15km Individual: Linn Persson (SWE), Hanna Oeberg (SWE), Lisa Vittozzi (ITA), (l-r). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Dorothea Wierer (ITA) was an early leader, wearing bib four and missing only once in the first three stages. But disaster struck on the final stage when she missed three, sending her three minutes down in the results. A few minutes later wearing bib 11, Wierer’s Italian teammate Lisa Vittozzi came through in the lead, having shot 15/15 in the first three stages. Vittozzi was fifth in last Friday’s Sprint but then came down with a cold on Saturday and had to skip the Pursuit. Despite returning from illness, she managed to ski the sixth-fastest course time today and carried a big lead into the final shooting stage. She hit the first four shots but then missed the last, opening up a door for Linn Persson of Sweden. Persson also shot clean through the first three stages and was holding Vittozzi’s pace; the two were separated by only .6 after Shooting 3. Persson hit the perfect 20/20 to take the lead, leaving the range with a huge smile on her face.

    Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) on her way to a bronze medal finish in the IBU World Championships Individual. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Persson crossed the finish line in first place, but her teammate Hanna Oeberg was chasing her down. With one miss in the first stage but then clean shooting for the rest of the race, Oeberg left the range after the final stage with a 14-second deficit to clean-shooting Persson. Knowing that the gold medal was on the line, Oeberg outskied Persson by nearly 25 seconds over the last three-kilometer loop to claim the World Championship title.

    Linn Persson (SWE) shot the perfect 20/20 to take silver in the IBU World Championship Individual in Oberhof , Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Persson was one of just three women to shoot the perfect score today. The others, Samuela Comola (ITA) and Suvi Minkkinen (FIN), both set new personal bests, finishing fourth and eighth, respectively. Joining Comola in the Flower Ceremony were World Cup Overall leader, Julia Simon of France in fifth, and Tuuli Tomingas of Estonia, whose sixth place finish is the highest ever for an Estonian woman at a World Championships.

    Deedra Irwin (USA) racing in a t-shirt due to uncharacteristically warm and sunny conditions at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo, NordicFocus)

    From the USA, Deedra Irwin found her groove today. After sickness and tricky range conditions hampered her efforts in the Sprint and Pursuit, Irwin pulled together her best focus today to finish 20th—her third-best career result and best this season. Of 90 starters in today’s race, only three shot clean and only four hit 19/20; Irwin was one of them, missing one from the standing position in the second stage. “I’m just glad I was able to keep it together on the range,” said Irwin, who couldn’t train normally in the lead up to the Championships due to illness. “I feel flat, but it’s getting better every race.” Lucky for Irwin, she has two more races in the next three days to keep the positive momentum going. Irwin’s parents are supporting her on-site; they made the big trip from Wisconsin to see their first international biathlon races and are wearing Green Bay Packers gear with pride. Look for the cheesehead on the live stream!

    Emma Lunder (CAN) on her way to 25th in the IBU World Championships Individual in Oberhof, Germany (Photo: NordicFocus).

    Emma Lunder of Canada finished 20 seconds behind Irwin in 25th, in spite of three penalties. With 11th and 30th place finishes from the Sprint and Pursuit, Lunder has comfortably qualified for next Sunday’s Mass Start. In the two Mass Starts this winter she has finished 9th and 11th, and she is skiing faster now than she was earlier in the season so she has podium potential.

    Kelsey Dickinson (USA) made her IBU World Championships debut, shooting 90% to finish 67th. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Nadia Moser of Canada finished 58th with five penalties. Joanne Reid skied just nine seconds slower than Irwin but had difficulty on the range, missing three in the first standing stage and six overall to finish 61st. In her World Championships debut, Kelsey Dickinson (USA) had excellent shooting, missing only two, but felt like she couldn’t push into her highest gear and ended up 67th. Right behind Dickinson was Chloe Levins (USA) who had a total of four misses and finished 68th. Also with four misses, Benita Peiffer of Canada was 69th.

    Four races down, three to go!

    IBU World Championships Women’s 15km Individual RESULTS

    UP NEXT:

    Thursday at 9:10AM Eastern Time: Single-Mixed Relay
    Saturday at 5:45AM Eastern Time: Men’s 4 x 7.5k Relay
    Saturday at 9:00AM Eastern Time: Women’s 4 x 6k Relay
    Sunday at 6:30AM Eastern Time: Men’s 15k Mass Start
    Sunday at 9:30AM Eastern Time: Women’s 12.5 Mass Start

    Watch live here.

  • Biathlon World Championships: Boe Continues Gold Medal Run; Doherty and Runnalls top-40

    Biathlon World Championships: Boe Continues Gold Medal Run; Doherty and Runnalls top-40

    The fog finally lifted on Tuesday in Oberhof, revealing the full stadium of fans who for the past two races had been cheering into the void. Perfect visibility on the range was a welcome improvement for the men’s World Championship 20 k Individual—biathlon’s longest competition—especially since each miss in the format results in a ruinous one-minute time penalty. The ski tracks softened under the full sun, creating slow and arduous conditions, but that did not seem to slow Johannes Thignes Boe (NOR).

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) outskied the field by almost two minutes to capture his fourth straight gold medal at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Boe won the Individual by over a minute—despite two penalties—to complete his set of World Championship gold medals in each of biathlon’s seven disciplines. The defending World Champion, Boe’s Norwegian teammate Sturla Holm Laegreid, hit 19/20, missing only his last shot, to secure silver. Sebastian Samuelsson of Sweden also hit 19/20, missing once on his third stage, to claim his first podium in this discipline, just .4 behind Laegreid.

    Medalists in the IBU World Championships 20km Individual: Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR), Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE), (l-r). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    If these names sound familiar, it’s because today’s podium was a copy of Sunday’s Pursuit podium. While fans have become accustomed to seeing Boe and Laegreid in the gold and silver positions, it’s unusual to see a repeat podium in the Individual event. Shooting plays such an important role in the Individual that it’s difficult to predict results. But Boe’s course time was an outrageous 1:46 ahead of the next-fastest person, and only seven of 103 finishers skied within three minutes of his time! The 34th ranked course time was five minutes back. In other words, most of the athletes in this race would need to have five fewer misses than Boe in order to beat him. At the post-race press conference, when asked if he would like to win a FIS Cross-Country World Cup, as his former teammate Ole Einar Bjoerndalen famously did, Boe replied simply, “No.”

    Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR) wearing the gold “Defending Champion” bib during the IBU World Championships Individual in Oberhof, Germany. If it weren’t for Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) being on another level, Laegreid would be taking home another gold.

    While the podium was a repeat, the other top-six Flower Ceremony finishers were collecting awards for the fist time at this World Championships. Last year’s World Cup Overall winner, Quentin Fillon Maillet of France, finished fourth, missing only his 20th shot, like Laegreid. Benedict Doll of Germany, who was 55th in the Sprint and moved up 40 places to 15th in the Pursuit, improved yet again to fifth. And 22-year-old Niklas Hartweg of Switzerland took his nation’s first flowers of the Championships in sixth, his third-best result ever.

    Niklas Hartweg (SUI) celebrates with his team after taking sixth in the IBU World Championships Individual in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    North Americans are still holding out for top results at these Championships, but both Adam Runnalls (CAN) and Sean Doherty (USA) finished in the top 35 today, marking successful turnarounds following disappointing Sprints. Runnalls finished 30th with just two penalties, and Doherty was 35th with three. Twenty-two-year-old Logan Pletz (CAN), who made his World Cup debut in January of this year, had only two penalties and finished 64th, tying his personal best. Paul Schommer (USA) finished 77th with six misses, Vincent Bonacci (USA) was 80th with three, Trevor Kiers (CAN) was 86th with six, Christian Gow (CAN) was 89th with six, and Maxime Germain (USA) was 94th with seven.

    Sean Doherty (USA) on his way to 35th place in the IBU World Championships Individual, Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    IBU World Championships Men’s 20km RESULTS

    UP NEXT:

    Wednesday at 8:30AM Eastern Time: Women’s 15km Individual
    Thursday at 9:10AM Eastern Time: Single-Mixed Relay

    Watch live here.

  • Biathlon World Championships: Boe and Laegreid in a League of Their Own

    Biathlon World Championships: Boe and Laegreid in a League of Their Own

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) started Sunday’s Pursuit with a 15-second advantage but stretched it to 1:11 by the end of the race to claim his third straight gold medal at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Gemany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    This winter, two Norwegian men have set a new standard of excellence in biathlon. In Sunday’s Pursuit at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany, twenty-nine-year-old Johannes Thignes Boe and 25-year-old Sturla Holm Laegreid put on a masterclass. They both shot 20/20—something many biathletes never manage to do in a whole career—to claim their now familiar places on the gold and silver steps of the podium.

    Having won the Sprint, Boe started first in the Pursuit with a 15-second lead over the Sprint silver medalist, his older brother, Tarjei Boe. Laegreid started third, 40 seconds back. Ten of the top twelve athletes shot clean in the first stage, and eight of them—including the three leaders—stayed clean through the second stage as well, so at the half way point, the front of the race held steady with Laegreid chasing the Boe brothers.

    On the third shooting, Tarjei Boe missed two and was overtaken by Laegreid who stayed clear. By the last shooting, J. Boe had over a minute gap. He shot clean to complete the perfect 20/20, taking a moment to celebrate on the range before setting out to enjoy a casual 2.5km last loop on the fan-lined course.

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) celebrates after hitting 20/20 to win the Pursuit at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    When Laegreid arrived on lane 2 for his last shooting, he had a 36-second gap, which is encouraging but not comfortable. Were he to miss two or more and one of the chasers hit all five, he would be overtaken. But, like J. Boe, Laegreid nailed all five targets, securing the silver medal. In the end, J.Boe finished 1:11 ahead of Laegreid, who the finished line 43 seconds ahead of the third place.

    These gaps are extraordinary in a competition which is often determined by seconds. J. Boe is in a league of his own, but so is Laegreid. To see these two athletes towering so high above the rest of the field is truly astounding.

    Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR) stands alone on the range in front of a full stadium of spectators as he hits his last five targets in the IBU World Championships Pursuit in Oberhof, Germany.

    While the front of the race was amazing to watch because gaps were so big, the rest of the race was amazing because it was so tight. In the fight for the bronze medal, three athletes—bib number 11 Sebastian Samuelsson, bib 2 Tarjei Boe, and bib 6, Vetle Christriansen—arrived on the shooting range together for the final stage.

    Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE), Johannes Kuehn (GER), Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen (NOR), (l-r) on the shooting range at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus).

    Unlike the unshakeable race leaders, one by one, each of the athletes missed twice. The three left the range together and the race for the bronze medal started with two rounds of the penalty loop. As chasers arrived on the range, none were able to capitalize on the moment with clean shooting. With one kilometer to go, Samuelsson and T. Boe had gapped Christiansen. The race for the bronze came down to the final meters, with Sebastian Samuelsson finally winning his first medal of the season.

    Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) outsprinted Tarjei Boe (NOR) for the bronze medal in the Pursuit at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: NordicFocus).

    Paul Schommer (USA) was the sole North American competitor in the Pursuit. He started in 31st, but dropped to 52nd with eight misses. Schommer is among the best shooters on the World Cup circuit so this performance was very much an anomaly. His next race will be Tuesday’s 20km Individual.

    Paul Schommer (USA) racing in the Pursuit at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: NordicFocus).

    Biathlon World Championships Men’s Pursuit RESULTS.

    UP NEXT:

    Tuesday at 8:30AM Eastern Time: Men’s 20km Pursuit
    Wednesday at 8:30AM Eastern Time: Women’s 15km Pursuit

    Watch live here.

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) greets Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR) in the finish of the IBU World Championships Pursuit in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: NordicFocus).
  • Biathlon Women’s Pursuit: Simon from 10th to World Champion

    Biathlon Women’s Pursuit: Simon from 10th to World Champion

     

    Julia Simon (FRA) wearing the yellow World Cup leader’s bib as she fights her way from 10th to first in the IBU World Championships Pursuit in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    After missing her last two shots in Friday’s Sprint competition and finishing a disappointing tenth, World Cup Overall leader Julia Simon of France was determined to fight her way onto the podium in today’s World Championship Pursuit. In the end, Simon, who thrives in head-to-head competitions, made clear why she leads the World Cup standings, recovering a 1:02.8 deficit from Sprint winner Denise Herrmann (GER) to take gold—her first-ever individual World Championship medal of any color. Herrmann slipped just one place to take silver, and the defending Olympic Champion Marte Oslbu Roieseland moved up from fourth to take bronze.

    Podium finishers in the Pursuit at the IBU World Championships in Oberhof (GER): Denise Herrmann-Wick (GER), Julia Simon (FRA), Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR), (l-r). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The race unfolded perfectly for Simon through the first three stages. Starting over a minute back in 10th place, Simon hammered out the fastest first lap to overtake five people before arriving at the range. Despite heavy fog which made seeing the target difficult, Simon shot clean through the first three stages of the race, while Hermann and others missed. Simon briefly took the lead from Herrmann after Shooting 3, but Herrmann passed Simon on the tracks and pulled into the shooting range for the final bout on lane 1 three seconds before Simon. This one-on-one test of composure and shooting speed is exactly the scenario that brings out Simon’s best performances. Despite arriving in the range three seconds after Herrmann, she took the first shot and kept a lighting-fast cadence through five shots in 20.1 seconds, but missed once. Herrmann couldn’t match the speed and missed twice, giving Simon a 28-second advantage. Simon cruised through the final 2 k loop to claim the World Championship title.

    Julia Simon (FRA) leaves Denise Herrmann (GER) behind on the range after Shooting 4 in the IBU World Championships Pursuit. Oberhof (GER). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    In the fight for third place, Roeiseland arrived at the last shooting in fifth, but when the athletes shooting in lanes three and four both missed, she capitalized on the moment with clean shooting, left the range in third, and held on through the finish. Roeiseland’s teammate, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (NOR) took fourth, and behind her there was a four-way race for the last two places in the Flower Ceremony. Encouraged by the cheers of 25,000 German fans in the sold-out stadium, Sophia Schneider of Germany ultimately took fifth, reaching her first Flower Ceremony and improving her previous personal best of seventh which she took unexpectedly in the Sprint. France’s Lou Jeanmonnot finished 6th, out-sprinting Tereza Vobornika of the Czech Republic and Hanna Kebinger of Germany who also set new personal bests.

    Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (NOR), Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (NOR), Sophia Schneider (GER), (l-r) on the final shooting stage of the IBU World Championships Pursuit in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    From North America, Emma Lunder was the top starter, wearing bib 11, but she struggled with the low visibility on the range and dropped to 30th with seven penalties. “In prone I could see Echo and Alpha, but not the three targets in the middle,” said Lunder, using the common names of the right and leftmost targets. Deedra Irwin (USA) missed three in the first shooting when she didn’t have a clear sight picture. “I haven’t shot in fog since maybe last year. I probably could have shot better if I stayed calm and just shot, but I freaked out.” Irwin improved from there, missing only two total in the next three stages, but wearing bib 55 and starting with three misses, she found herself out of the race and finished at the back of the Pursuit.

    Nadia Moser (CAN) had the highlight North American performance of the day, moving up from 48th to 37th with just three penalties.

    Nadia Moser (CAN) shot 0,1,1,1 to move from 48th to 37th in the IBU World Championships Pursuit in Oberhof (GER). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The women now have two days to rest and get ready for their longest competition, the 15km Individual, which takes place on Wednesday at 8:30AM Eastern Time. Watch live HERE.

    IBU World Championships Women’s Sprint RESULTS

  • Biathlon World Championships: Norwegian Men Sweep Sprint Podium

    Biathlon World Championships: Norwegian Men Sweep Sprint Podium

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) congratulates his brother, Tarjei Boe (NOR) who finished beside him on the podium at the IBU World Championships Men’s Sprint in Oberhof. (Photo: Reichert/NordicFocus)

    One man has won all five 10 k Sprint competitions so far this season, so even with 112 starters in today’s BMW IBU World Championship Sprint, there was no doubt about the favorite. Johannes Thignes Boe of Norway has been untouchable on skis since November, regularly out-skiing his nearest competitor by over 30 seconds. The 150m penalty loop in biathlon usually takes athletes about 23 seconds, so Boe can afford to miss once and still win. Today he missed once in prone—the target barely visible at 50m through dense fog—but cleaned standing with no hesitation in just 21 seconds. With a 36-second second margin to the next-fastest skier, Boe defended his Olympic title and become the 2023 World Champion. This sets him up for another likely victory in tomorrow’s Pursuit competition, but with four shooting stages, anything can happen.

    Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) started and finished in bib number 1 at the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Sharing the podium with the unbeatable Boe were two teammates: his older brother, Tarjei Boe, shot the perfect score to complete the family sweep for the second time this winter, and Sturla Holm Laegreid missed just one in standing to capture the bronze. Laegreid is ranked second behind J. Boe in the Overall standings and has been on the podium in all but three competitions this season, so he was very much the silver medal favorite, but T. Boe is the fifth-ranked Norwegian (and 8th in the World Cup Overall standings), so the so-called “Boedium” was a pleasant surprise for the brothers.

    Tarjei Boe (NOR), Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR) (l-r) on the podium of the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    The Norwegian men make it look easy to land on the podium even with nine out of ten hits, but it’s not. Only four people on the whole men’s World Cup circuit have a shooting average of 90%. Laegreid is one of them. The Boe brothers are among the top 15 athletes with an 88% hit rate. Add the expectation of victory, and their performances become even more impressive.

    Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR) racing to third place in the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    With Johannes Dale in fourth and Vetle Christiansen in sixth, the Norwegians almost pulled off a full sweep of the Flower Ceremony, but one athlete managed to upset the total domination. Dmytro Pidruchnyi of Ukraine shot clean and skied the 15th course time to take fifth. He had only raced twice this season—once in November and once just last week, with a knee operation in between—before coming to the World Championships. Pidruchnyi has a history of performing his best at championships; he was the World Champion in the Pursuit in 2019. Today’s fifth place was his top result since then. This victory will certainly mean a lot to him, his team, and the people of Ukraine as they suffer from war at home.

    Flower Ceremony finishers in the IBU World Championships Sprint in Oberhof, Germany. Front L-R: Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen (NOR), Dmytro Pidruchnyi (UKR), Johannes Dale (NOR), Back: L-R: Tarjei Boe (NOR), Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR), Sturla Holm Laegreid (NOR). (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Andrejs Rastorgujevs of Latvia shot 10/10 to finish 7th, Johannes Keuhn of the home German team finished 8th for his best result of the season, and two French athletes, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Antonin Guigonnat, rounded out the top ten. Sebastian Samuelsson of Sweden finished in 11th with two penalties. Both he and Fillion Maillet will be podium threats in the Pursuit even starting around 1:10 back.

    Paul Schommer (USA) zeroes his rifle before the Sprint competition at the IBU World Championships, in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Today was a tough day for the North Americans, with the exception of Paul Schommer (USA) who qualified for the Pursuit in 31st with one penalty each in prone and standing. Paul’s 31st-ranked course time was his best in a Sprint this season. “That prone miss was definitely one of those things where I thought, okay, I should have taken another second, but the standing felt good,” Schommer said of his shooting. As in yesterday’s Women’s Sprint, drafting on the long, windy straightaway into the range was critical. With that in mind, Schommer went out of his comfort zone on the second lap to stay with another athlete. “I may have pushed a little too hard before standing, but I made up so much time by staying with him.” It’s easy in biathlon to play the “what if” game, and Schommer recognized that he would have cracked the top 20 with one less miss, but he said, “tomorrow I’m going for the money!” The top 30 finishers in biathlon World Cups and World Championships earn prize money.

    Maxime Germain (USA) in the finish of his first senior-level World Championship race. Oberhof (GER). (Photo, NordicFocus).

    Twenty-one-year-old Maxime Germain (USA) finished just outside of the Pursuit qualification in 65th with three penalties. Both Sean Doherty (USA) and 22-year-old Vincent Bonacci (USA) cleaned prone but then uncharacteristically missed four in standing. They finished 80th and 98th.

    For Canada, Adam Runnalls was the team’s top finisher in 82nd with five misses. Trevor Kiers was 86th with three, Christian Gow was 92nd with four, and Logan Pletz was 94th with four. This was certainly not the day that either North American team had hoped for. Those not racing in tomorrow’s Pursuit will shift their focus now to next week’s 20km Individual competition.

    IBU World Championships Men’s Sprint RESULTS

    Next Up:
    Women’s Pursuit on Sunday at 7:25AM Eastern Time
    Men’s Pursuit on Sunday at 9:30AM Eastern Time

    Watch Live Here