Vitalii Mandzyn: The Interview!

Vitalii Mandzyn is a Ukrainian biathlete who has emerged as one of the most promising young talents in the sport. The 23-year-old who was born in Ternopil, got his first World Cup top-ten finish with 4th place in the 2024 Kontiolahti Short Individual. Last season, he finished 25th in the Total Score, up from 31st the previous season, and achieved a best result of 10th in the Mass Start at his debut Olympics in Antholz 2026.

Follow Vitalii on Instagram: vitalii.mandzyn

Why did you become a biathlete?

I started to do biathlon almost 13 years ago, when I was 10. I was doing aikido and playing the clarinet before. Then my older sister started to do biathlon and I joined some training with her and in this way I decided to do biathlon.

You competed in your first Olympic Games in Antholz last season. What was that experience like?

When I found out I would go to the Olympic Games I was really happy and proud of myself. Therefore I went there with the intention of introducing myself in the best way and not only to be a participant at the Games but to compete for the top spots.

How do you assess last season overall? What were you happy with and were there any disappointing things?

I consider that last season was much better and more stable than the previous one. Yes there were not so many bright races like the flower ceremony but I managed to be really good in almost every race. Unfortunately I had some problems with my shooting but I am working on this.

What are your goals for this season?

The main goal this season is as always: to show myself in the best way possible.

What summer training have you done so far and what are you plans up until the World Cup begins? Can you train in Ukraine or is it all in other countries?

Together with the main team we are on the 4th training camp of this preparation period. We are in Obertilliach right now(mid August). Yes, we had one training camp (the first one) in Sianky, Ukraine.

What are your strengths in biathlon? What do you need to improve?

I can’t highlight any strength so far 😅 because I see that there is space in every component of our sport to improve. So I am working both on shooting and skiing skills.

How has being a biathlete and being in the biathlon family helped you cope with the war in your country?

Honestly,  I will always be so thankful for the people who really help and support us through this difficult time. Fortunately there are many of them in our biathlon family.

What are your hobbies?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of time to search for new hobbies but I really like and appreciate spending time with my family and friends. Moreover, I like doing something on the lake in my hometown , especially when the weather is perfect.

What are three essential things you pack in your suitcase when you are travelling? (not biathlon things)

Passport, phone and headphones.

Do you have a favourite biathlon track? Where is it and why?

Mostly I like the tracks where there are a lot of fans so Annecy, Oberhof, Ruhpolding and Nove Mesto. Moreover, I love Antholz because of it’s stunning landscapes.

Who is your favourite biathlete (past or present) and why?

I don’t have a favourite biathlete but there are a few that I take inspiration from.

Describe yourself in three words.

I’m determined, level-headed and persistent.

Have you ever?

• arrived late for a race? No
• cross fired in a race? No
• arrived on the wrong lane? No
• jumped the start? No
• gone to shoot prone instead of standing or vice versa? No
• forgotten to do a penalty loop? No
• gone the wrong way on the course? No
• forgotten something before a race? (eg. rifle, magazine,poles,glasses) No
• taken someone else’s equipment by mistake? No
• asked another biathlete for an autograph or photo? Yes, I don’t remember when exactly, but when I was younger I definitely did it.

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Stefan Egger-Riedmueller: The Interview!

Stefan Egger-Riedmueller is an Austrian para biathlete and cross-country skier. He only began cross-country skiing in 2020 and was discovered two years later by former biathlete Tobias Eberhard, marking the start of his competitive career. Born without a fibula or calf muscles in his right leg, he competes in the standing category. The 30-year-old Tyrolean made his Paralympic debut in 2026 and is now preparing for the upcoming season.

Follow Stefan on Instagram: es_egger_riedmuellert

Why did you become a biathlete?

At first, I started with cross-country skiing, first skating and then classic. In Para Nordic skiing, it’s very common to compete in both cross-country skiing and biathlon, so I decided to give biathlon a try. From my very first shooting session, I really enjoyed it, and it turned out that I had a good feeling for it.

Is Tobias Eberhard still your coach? What is it like working with him?

Yes, Tobias Eberhard is still my coach. We have a very good coach-athlete relationship, and I have learned—and continue to learn—a lot from him. His experience as a former athlete is incredibly valuable and has helped me improve both on the shooting range and on the course.

How are you funded to do the sport?

In Austria, Para athletes also have the opportunity to work in sports support positions within government ministries. In my case, I work for the Austrian Customs Service, where I also complete part of my regular duties during the year. In addition, we receive great support from our ski federation, whether it’s for training camps or traveling to competitions. I’m very grateful for this support because, without it, competing at this level would hardly be possible.

You took part in your first Paralympic Games. What was the experience like?

The atmosphere was incredible, and the entire event was perfectly organized. Since the Games were only about three hours away from my home, my family, friends, and many people I know were able to come and support me. Experiencing that kind of atmosphere and encouragement is something very special and doesn’t happen very often.

How do you assess your overall performance last season?

Since I compete in both biathlon and cross-country skiing, I have to assess them separately. I’m very happy with my performances in cross-country skiing. I made a big step forward, which was reflected in finishing third overall in the Cross-Country World Cup standings.

My biathlon season was a bit more mixed. I had some strong individual performances, but I wasn’t able to find enough consistency throughout the season, especially on the shooting range. That’s something we’re working on intensively at the moment.

What have you done for summer training so far, and what will you do until the season begins?

During the spring, I spent a lot of time building my endurance with easy training sessions on the bike and on roller skis. As the season gets closer, the intensity of the training gradually increases. On the shooting side, I’ve done a lot of dry-fire training to improve my technique and make my routines as efficient and consistent as possible so that I can execute them under race pressure.

What are your goals for this season? Will you compete in all World Cups and the World Championships?

The plan is definitely to compete in as many races as possible. We’ll make decisions from one event to the next and see what makes the most sense. The two major highlights of the season are, of course, the World Championships, where I want to deliver my best performance when it matters most.

What are your strengths in biathlon? What do you need to improve?

One of my strengths is that I handle the physical stress at the shooting range quite well. I also adapt quickly to new coaching inputs and can implement changes effectively in training.

The next step is to transfer that consistency into competition. Another strength is definitely my final lap. I love pushing myself to the limit and giving everything I have until the finish line.

What are your hobbies?

In my free time, I enjoy meeting friends for a coffee, playing tennis, and cooking.

Do you have a favourite biathlon venue?

Yes, I really like Pokljuka. The scenery is beautiful, and the courses are challenging and varied. I think it’s the perfect venue for this year’s World Championships 😉

Who is your favourite biathlete?

Without a doubt, Simon Eder. His shooting skills have always been incredible.

Describe yourself in three words.

Determined – Ambitious – Cheerful

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Johan Hagström: The Interview!

Johan Hagström, the Swedish shooting coach, is one of the most recognizable figures on the biathlon range. The 45-year-old Östersund resident has, for many years, played a key role in the success of Sweden’s current biathlon stars after cutting his own biathlon career short. One of the few Swedish coaches working at the top level, he talks about his journey from athlete to trainer, shares his thoughs on last season’s standout moments and reflects on the staff changes.

Follow Johan on Instagram: hagstrom1195

Why did you decide to become a biathlon coach and how did you become Sweden’s shooting coach?

I was practicing biathlon myself. When I was around 25 I realized that I wouldn´t be a top athlete. So then I changed career and become a coach. I was a cross-country coach for 3 years but in 2010 the former Head coach in Sweden, Staffan Eklund, called me and asked if I wanted to work for Swedish biathlon. Around 2015 the federation was on a low level and there was not so many coaches, so we had to do everything around the team. But the results were getting better and better and so also the economy in the federation, so more coaches could be hired. We started to work more and more professionally which meant that I could focus more on shooting, and other coaches were focusing more on other things.  

Jean-Marc Chabloz left the team at the end of the season.  What was he like to work with and what did you learn from him?

Jean-Marc is a funny guy so it was always nice to be on the range with him. We had a great time together. He was very passionate about everything no matter how small a thing it was. 

Jonne Kahkonen has joined the team. How is he settling in and how do things work between you? Do you work together all the time or do you have separate duties or work with different biathletes?

Jonne is easy to work with and there has been no problem letting him into the team. It feels like he has been here for years already. We try to work together as much as we can and not split up the team as we did before.

Tell us about the Olympics. What was it like watching Martin Ponsiluoma winning gold? How do you assess the results and performances overall?

It is always nice when you see an athlete reach their goals. To see his last shooting and follow him the last loop and to see him getting his medal, all the joy and happines. That is the best feeling as a coach.
Our goal before the Olympics was to get a medal in both the women’s and men’s races. We did that so we are happy to be able to reach that goal. We know it is not so easy to get a medal during a championship, you can´t just go there and take them.

What training have you done so far and what are the plans for the rest of the summer?

So far we have been working a lot on basic training, both physical and shooting. It has been a lot of technical work. From now it will be more speed and “biathlon training”. We did a training camp in Norway but except for that we have been at home in Östersund.

Do you set specific goals for athletes or general goals for the team? What are your hopes for this season?

The federation has clear goals for the team, but of course the athletes set their own goals. My personal goal is to make them better every day on the range. My hope for the season is to make an even better season than the last one.

Do you enjoy thinking up new ways of training and new drills? Is it hard to keep things fresh and interesting for the biathletes?

It is always nice to sit and think about new drills that we can do. But most of the exercises are only for a short period of time or for just 1 session. It is difficult to find new ways of training that stay forever.

Do you prefer making a great athlete 1% better or making a big improvement with a younger or less experienced biathlete and why?

These big improvements you don’t see so often, and when you see the athletes almost everyday then it is even harder to see that big development. So, for me it is 1% better every day, week, month and year that is more interesting.

There aren’t many Swedish coaches at the elite level of biathlon. Why do you think that is? Which of the current biathletes do you think would make a good coach in the future?

Biathlon has been a small sport in Sweden so there haven’t been that many jobs as a coach. We are getting bigger and have more and more coaches. I hope and think that you will see more of us in the future. Jesper Nelin would become a great coach, that I´m sure of. 

What do you enjoy most about being a coach and what things do you wish you didn’t have to do?

To stand on the range and try to make everything and everyone a little better than yesterday. Working with people that are trying to make everything better and better, that is the best part. The boring part is when you do things where you feel, “We could have avoided this, I’m only doing this because I have to, this will not make the team perform better”.

If you could pick any biathlon coach to be your coach, who would you choose and why?

Patrick Oberegger – he has a lot of knowledge but stands with both feet on the ground. 

Describe yourself in three words.

Careful, attentive, consistent

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Spring Things 2026!

Welcome to Spring Things, your roundup of everything you might have missed in biathlon over the Spring (and most of the Summer!) while you were on holiday or caught up in other sports (how dare you!). So much has happened that I may have overlooked a few bits, but this should get you back up to speed.

The biggest news at the start of spring came from Emilien Jacquelin, who revealed his plan to try cycling with a professional team to see if he could succeed in that sport. He’s not officially retiring from biathlon and but it remains to be seen whether he will return this winter with skis and rifle or not. Unfortunately, he’s already taken a fall and broken his collarbone—and that’s just the start of the biathlon injury list!

Injuries

His teammate, Sophie Chauveau, also had a fall from her bike and landed in the hospital with a concussion. The same thing happened to Viktor Brandt who was also left concussed. Lou Jeanmonnot had to undergo eye surgery, and poor Marketa Davidova needed a second operation for her herniated disc.

Aita Gasparin underwent surgery on her big toe, Maya Cloetens had shoulder surgery after two dislocations, and Tommaso Giacomel slipped on some moss, dislocating his shoulder but avoided the need for an operation. Otto Invenius underwent an unexpected surgery but didn’t say what it was for.

Karoline Knotten had surgery to remove her infected and ruptured appendix, while Martin Uldal experienced amnesia after a skiing accident.

Spring is a dangerous time to be a biathlete!

Retirements

There were a spate of retirements post season with many people not getting the memo that you are supposed to announce it before the end of the season so we can celebrate you! Germany’s Johannes Kuehn decided to end his career. We also said goodbye to Canadians Adam Runnalls, who moves into coaching, and Benita Peiffer. Norwegian pair Vetle Paulsen and Marit Skogan hung up their rifles as well as Austria’s David Komatz, Slovakia’s Julia Machyniakova and Slovenia’s Anton Vidmar. Belgium’s Cesar Beauvais announced his retirement just this week. American Grace Castonguay is stepping away from the sport for a while but could return in the future.

Leaving the sport to try his hand at cross country skiing is Czech Jakub Stvrtecky much to the delight of biathlon commentators everywhere. In return we get Einar Hedegart who after some wrangling will be on the Norwegian B-Team with special access to the A-team coach. Lea Fischer also moves over from cross country to biathlon for Switzerland.

Family news

The biathlon family is growing, with Jesper Nelin welcoming a baby, as did fellow Swede and Para biathlete Zebastian Modin. Hanna Oberg and Martin Ponsiluoma are expecting their first child to add to the Swedish baby boom! Ragnhild Femsteinevik tied the knot and shared the happy news of her pregnancy, while Tereza Jandova is also expecting.

Deedra Irwin got married in April and Joscha Burkhalter tied the knot in June. Fabien Claude got engaged proposing on the top of a mountain in New Zealand! Elvira Oberg and Oskar Brandt also got engaged at the end of July. Congratulations to all of them!

Coaching changes

After the Olympic cycle ended, many coaching changes took place, with coaches seeking new challenges and nations eager for fresh ideas.

The worst-kept secret of the spring was Siegfried Mazet’s return to the French team. When he announced his departure from Norway, it was clear where he was headed. Now, he’ll be joining forces with his former star, Simon Fourcade, on the men’s team.

Patrick Oberegger is stepping in for Mazet with Norway, moving over from the women’s team. Joining him is Anders Overby, who previously led the IBU team. Taking the reins for the Norwegian women are Sverre Olsbu Roiseland and former cross-country skier Marte Kristoffersen. The IBU squad will now be managed by Andreas Kvam and Ronny Andre Hafsaas.

These appointments were overseen by Norway’s new sport director Lars Maeland, who took over from Per Arne Botnan, and assistant Anders Brun Hennum. Botnan has now become a consultant for Lithuanian biathlon.

Some of the new team’s other decisions have already stirred controversy after leaving Endre Stroemsheim and Vebjorn Soerum off the national team entirely. They have an arrangement similar to Knotten’s last season, with waxing and medical assistance provided, but otherwise, they are on their own for training this summer.

Sandra Flunger will replace Roiseland in the German women’s team, with Denny Andritske as her assistant. She’s the first female coach of the women’s team since Renate Schinze, who led the first-ever female German World Cup team. Kristian Mehringer is now responsible for developing German biathlon, while Erik Lesser takes over as coach of the Junior Women.

Switzerland has replaced Flunger with two coaches: Kein Einaste in the men’s team and Gion-Andrea Bundi in the women’s. Rico Gross and Andreas Kuppelwieser will serve as shooting coaches, while Fabian Beri takes charge of the B-team.

After a successful run with Italy, Jonne Kahkonen has joined the Swedish team, taking over from the retired Jean-Marc Chabloz. Well, semi-retired—he’ll still be lending a hand to Per Nilsson, the new development coach for Swedish biathlon.

Egil Gjelland is stepping in as the new Italian shooting coach, joining Edoardo Mezzaro. Andrea Zattoni and Fabio Cianciana will stay on with the men’s team, while Mirco Romanin takes over as head coach of the Italian Juniors.

After a decade together, Dmytro Pidruchnyi has parted ways with his personal coach, Juraj Sanitra. Sergii Semenov is now the head coach of Ukraine’s men’s team, replacing Nadia Bilova, while Oksana Khvostenko steps in as women’s head coach, succeeding Mykola Zots.

Armin Auchentaller stepped down as America’s head coach to join Slovenia, teaming up with Rok Trsan. Emil Bormetti takes over as head coach of the US men’s team, while former US biathlete Michael Gibson will lead the women’s squad.

There were major changes for Austria, with Wolfgang Pichler taking on the role of consultant for planning and training management. This brought in Felian Schubert as the new men’s coach and saw Markus Fischer return to lead the women’s team.

Michal Slesinger is making a comeback to the biathlon scene, joining forces with former teammate Ondrej Moravec to coach the Czech men’s team. Adam Vaclavik has also become an assistant coach to Zdenek Vit for the academic squad who combine biathlon with their studies.

Luca Bormolini is the new coach of the Kazakhstan Junior team.

Helene Jorgensen has left her position with the Canadian team leaving Andrew Chisholm as the sole coach of the team.

Finland have added Ahti Toivanen to their World Cup coaching team to help Erik Kulstad and Aku Moilanen. A certain Kaisa Makarinen is the new coach of the Finnish Under 21’s!

Olympic/Paralymic News:

It has been announced that the Single Mixed Relay will be added to the Olympic programme from 2030 giving the smaller nations an extra race and a chance to wrestle some medals away from the bigger nations.

The Para biathlon will take place in La Clusaz at the 2030 Games in France.

New calendar

This season kicks off with a refreshed biathlon calendar, featuring Oberhof’s shift from January to March, a brief season opener in Kontiolahti, an early Christmas break, and a two-day World Cup round in Pokljuka over New Year. The action begins on the 26th of November in Finland—let the countdown begin!

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Biathlon23 Awards 2025/26!

Welcome to the 12th annual Biathlon23 awards. The alternative awards for biathlon which represent the important things in the sport like the best moustache and the funniest moment. These are what everyone wants to win. Olympic medals and World Cup crystal globes are nothing in comparison to the glory of winning a coveted Biathlon23 Award!

The awards are of course subject to a rigorous system used to ensure fairness in the nominations and winners – I pick them and it’s totally biased! Read, enjoy and feel free to disagree!

Most hits on the blog (most popular):

There were all kinds of different interviews this season with coaches, general managers, para biathletes and biathletes from all over the World from Norway to Greece via America and Canada to name a few. One of those stood out among the rest creating a lot of interest especially around the Olympics! A 16th place finish in the Sprint gained a lot of attention followed up by a 20th in the Pursuit and a first-ever Mass Start from someone from her country. She hasn’t actually be representing her parents’ country of Denmark for very long but she has been doing it very well and people have noticed. She has rocketed to the third most popular interview of all time on the blog!

Winner: Anne De Besche

Special moment:

The special moment of the season is also one tinged with sadness and a lot of emotion. After the sudden and shocking death of Sivert Bakken, one of his closest friend’s season was completely derailed. He was having the best season of his career up until Christmas and then tragedy struck. It was a hard road back for him and sickness didn’t help either. He did make it back and honoured Bakken in the best possible way by winning the Individual gold medal at the Olympics and dedicating it to his dear friend. Some things are just meant to happen and that was definitely the case in Antholz. When he crossed the line and pointed to the sky it was a beautiful and very poignant moment none of us will ever forget.

Winner: Johan-Olav Botn’s Olympic gold.

Funniest moment:

This season has been full of hilarious moments, mostly thanks to Campbell! From jumping into the hot tub after the race in Kontiolahti to showing up on the podium in flip-flops and shorts in Otepaa. There was Otto Invenius taking on the role of the Otepaa mascot ‘Otto’ for the day, and Fabien Claude sliding into his team photo after being late chatting with fans. In Holmenkollen, the men were all jumping over the final hill during training, with a few tumbles from Adam Runnalls and Maxime Germain in particular. Maren Kirkeeide had her own comedy act, failing to open a champagne bottle not once but twice at the Olympics. Social media was buzzing too, with plenty of laughs from the likes of Anna Gandler and Edgars Mise.

The funniest was at the Olympics though. If you are going to come last you get nothing anyway – no points, no prize money – so why not have a sprint for the line. And when you initiate the idea and spend the last lap convincing the others to join in and then lose the photo finish and come last, it’s even funnier, right Campbell?😂

Winner: Mass Start last place sprint between Fabien Claude, Nicola Romanin and Campbell Wright.

Favourite first:

This award goes to a biathlete or team achieving something for the first time, like a debut win, podium finish, or a perfect 20/20. This season saw several first-time winners, including Suvi Minkkinen, Johan-Olav Botn, Oceane Michelon, and Maren Kirkeeide. But this honour is for a first-ever 20/20. He’s managed a few perfect 10/10 Sprints before, but is best known for his lightning-fast skiing, especially on the final lap. Shooting has been more of a challenge, particularly in the World Cup, forcing him to fight for his place on the team. Missing automatic selection at the start of the season, he clawed his way up through the IBU Cup. So shooting clean in a four-shoot race is a big deal, but imagine doing it for the first time at the Olympics, in the Mass Start, and you were the only one who did it! Oh, and it won you the Olympic gold medal!!! Incredible.

Winner: Johannes Dale-Skjevdal

Toys out of the pram:

To ‘throw your toys out of the pram’ is an English idiom which means to act in a petulant or upset manner like a small child. There are always biathletes who are upset about something like the ski techs not getting the waxing right or the coaches not selecting them for the World Cup or maybe the relay team but I have never heard one complain about others trying to win a race! Yes, that’s what happened in Kontiolahti! One member of the French team got mad at his teammates for not helping him to win! He suggested that Eric Perrot and Fabien Claude should not have done any work to catch him up when he was leading the Mass Start and should have let the Norwegians do the job. Looks like he forgot that you are only a team in the Relay and not the individual races where it is everyone for themselves. Strange that he didn’t blame the loss on his own two mistakes in the shooting! 😉

Winner: Emilien Jacquelin

Moment of Madness:

There can be lots of moments biathletes would rather forget like falling and breaking poles or worse a rifle. You can use too many spares bullets in a relay or not enough. You can forget to do a penalty loop or that you have to put your rifle back on before you leave the mat! All of these things happened this season. They were all eclipsed, and I think you know where this is going, by one man’s Olympic interview! After winning a bronze medal in the Individual he went on TV to confess, without even being asked as no one knew, in floods of tears to cheating on his girlfriend! Wrong time and wrong place considering what else happened in that race! A real moment of madness, though the confession seems to have sparked the best form of his life, so maybe not completely mad after all—just perhaps something to share with friends rather than the whole world! On a lighter note, biathlon was trending everywhere, and you know what they say: all publicity is good publicity!

Winner: Sturla Laegried

Best ski suit:

This one may be slightly controversial as I am not accepting Olympic ski suit entries! They are used only for two weeks and are not a great advert for sustainability and even though the suits from France, Greenland and Lithuania in particular were really good this award is for the World Cup ski suit! The Czech and Slovakian suits were good, the Estonian suit I liked a lot as well as the pink sleeves of Kazakhstan making them very easy to spot. The winner is a cool suit with a green sleeve and a blue sleeve, blue trousers with green at the bottom and a pattern which reflects the mountains on the flag with green, blue and white chevrons. Snazzy!

Winner: Slovenia

Best rifle design:

This award has been brought out of retirement after finally finding a worthy recipient. As rifle design started getting boring with some nice designs but no new ones and most people going for a single colour on the stock I gave up on this! But when you move country you need a new rifle to reflect your new status! This one has a white stock, which is pretty unusual anyway, a bullet with a little arm holding a British flag joined by a series of flames to another flag. The second flag is the place where this biathlete is from, the region of Haute-Savoie in France, and so tells the story of his biathlon journey as well as looking cool. Best of all, it was designed by his sister making it even more personal and special!

Winner: Jacques Jeffries

Best Moustache:

Back in the day this award would have been for best beard but it’s seems moustaches are all the rage these days. Stura had one, Emilien Jacquelin, Adam Runnalls, Jacques Jeffries and even Rihards Lozbers who isn’t even old enough to grow a moustache has one! There can only be one winner though. Sporting a mighty ‘tash’ that would not be out of place on the upper lip of a Victorian gentleman – it’s truly magnificent!🥸

Winner: Dajan Danuser

Best knitwear:

It seems like every biathlete’s hobby just now is knitting! They are all doing it! The Norwegian and Swedish women are famous for it but now the men are getting involved to. One man’s quest to knit a jumper at the Olympics was well documented on his Instagram stories and turned out really well although I think we are still waiting for the rings! It’s grey with green stripes and they even all line up and everything. He since moved on to hats and one that even looks like a strawberry. Let’s hope he starts taking commissions soon!

Winner: Adam Runnalls

Best biathlete23:

As we know the IBU changed the start groups in the Sprint and Individual last season thinking they could stop the success of bib23! How wrong they were! While there was success on World Cup with Hanna Oberg winning the Holmenkollen Sprint, the Olympics was the big story. Out of nowhere a biathlete in bib23 shocked everyone (except me!) with an outstanding performance! Using the power of bib23 to step on to the podium for the very first time, winning a bronze medal at aged just 22 with a magnificent 20/20 in the Olympic Individual there can only be one best biathlete23!

Winner: Lora Hristova

Biggest improver:

You’d usually expect this award to go to a young athlete, since they often make the biggest leaps, but last year’s winner Suvi proved it’s never too late! This season tells a similar story: a 30-year-old who boosted her prone shooting from 71% to 85% and her standing from 86% to 88%, raising her overall shooting score from 78% to 87%. Those improvements led to eight Top 20 finishes—the most in her career—and matched her personal best of 8th place.

Winner: Regina Ermits

Best team performance:

There were some great team performances this season. The Norwegian men’s relay team were fantastic on the World Cup. The French men’s and women’s relay teams were amazing at the Olympics. But you know we kind of expect it from them. Less expected was the fabulous results from one of the smaller nations. They started out in the first Mixed Relay of the season in Oestersund in 6th, in Nove Mesto they improved to 4th and then in the final race of the season they finished third, leading at all three exchanges, to achieve their best-ever finish in this event!

Winner: US Mixed Relay Team

Performance of the season:

There were some great performances this season, but one truly stood out. It came from someone who’s had to battle back more than once from both mental and physical challenges. She struggled with her shooting but eventually overcame those issues to claim the Overall Title. Then, unable to defend it due to back problems, she had to miss an entire season—one that happened to be right before her home Olympics, with the fear she might not even make it there. Racing in a home Olympics is rare, winning a gold medal at a home Olympics is rarer, and winning Italy’s first-ever gold in biathlon is unprecedented. Delivering an incredible performance, hitting 20 out of 20 in the Pursuit, all in front of family, friends, and fans, is absolutely unbelievable. But she made it happen!

Winners: Lisa Vittozzi

Biathlete of the year:

There were some great contenders for this one. Johan-Olav Botn had an incredible start to the season, Sturla Laegreid and Emilien Jacquelin had an incredible finish to the season. Julia Simon had an amazing Olympics and the Oberg sisters finished the season really strong. Eric Perrot won the Overall and 3 of the 4 disciplines. The winner is someone who has finished second twice in the Overall and last season lost it in the final corner of the final race. She overcame the disappointment to come back stronger, winning three races on the World Cup, taking five second places and three thirds. At the Olympics, she won two golds in the Relays and added silver in the Individual, bronze in Sprint and was 4th in the Pursuit. She won the Overall with 177 points and 2 races to spare as well as three of the four discipline globes. A fabulous season!

Winner: Lou Jeanmonnot

Para biathlete of the year:

There are a lot of Para biathletes to choose from over three different categories but there was one this year who stood out among the others. This Para biathlete has improved dramatically since her first attempt at biathlon at the Vuokatti World Cup back in 2018. She won the Overall Title in the standing category for the first time appearing on the podium in every single race, winning six out of the nine races on the World Cup. She then went on to win two gold medals at the Paralympics in the Individual and Sprint Pursuit as well as silver in the Sprint without missing a single target across all three races!

Winner: Natalie Wilkie

Junior biathlete of the year:

A lot of Juniors now compete at World Cup and IBU level and move up and down to the Junior Cup too. There have been some impressive performances from the likes of Oleksandra Merkushyna, Philip Lindkvist-Floetten, Inka Hamalainen, Thomas Marchl, Tetiana Tarasiuk and Kasper Kalkenberg to name just a few. There is one who has stood out from all of those. Winning the Junior Cup and Junior Mass Start title, three medals at Junior Europeans – gold in the Mass Start 60 and two bronze in the Sprint and Single Mixed, two gold medals at the Junior World Championships in the Sprint and Mixed Relay and silver in the Mass Start 60. She competed at the Olympics with a best result of 11th in the Pursuit which she topped in the Otepaa Sprint earning her World Cup personal best of 9th! Not bad for a 20-year-old!

Winner: Estere Volfa

Youth biathlete of the year:

It’s always hard to choose the Youth biathlete as you have to base it mainly on the World Championships. Unless of course you are a Youth that has competed over the course of the season on the Junior Cup, the IBU Cup, the World Cup, the Youth and Junior World Championships and not forgetting the Olympic Games! It has been quite a season for a 16-year-old! He was 16th in the Junior Cup, 65th on the IBU Cup and 62nd on the World Cup all in one season. He won two bronze medals in the European Junior Championships in the Individual and Mixed Relay. He won 3 Youth World Championship medals – gold in the Individual and silver in both the Sprint and Mass Start 60. He won gold stepping up to the Junior team at World Championships in the Mixed Relay. His best result at the Olympics was 32nd in the Sprint before bettering that in the Otepaa Pursuit finishing 31st to become the youngest man to earn World Cup points! Then in the Oslo Sprint he improved that PB again to 21st and became the youngest man to qualify for a World Cup Mass Start. Imagine what he could do now that he is 17!

Winner: Rihards Lozbers

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Season Review 2025/26: Men!

The 2025/26 season was another fantastic one! With 9 World Cup rounds and the Winter Olympic Games to enjoy, there was plenty of action. While the Overall race might not have been as thrilling as in the previous season, there was still no shortage of excitement.

Overall

Eric Perrot clinched the Overall Title this season by an impressive 279 points! Sadly, we didn’t get the nail-biting battle we hoped for, due to unfortunate events like the tragedy that struck Johan-Olav Botn over Christmas when he was leading the Total Score, and Tommaso Giacomel’s heart issues that forced him to end his season early while battling Perrot for the yellow bib. I’m sure Perrot still would have won, but it would’ve been a lot more exciting and definitely closer. His season was remarkable—he won four races, fewer than some rivals, yet only finished outside the Top 10 twice, placing 11th and 12th in those instances. That incredible consistency also earned him three of the four discipline globes.

Consistency is usually the trademark of our runner-up, Sturla Laegreid. Interestingly, his worst finishes of the season were also 11th and 12th, but illness and Olympic preparation kept him out of two World Cup rounds in Oberhof and Nove Mesto. He focused his season on the Olympics, and it paid off with five medals, though it meant he couldn’t defend his Overall Title. After the Games, he was unstoppable, claiming six podiums in six races—five wins and a second place—which propelled him into second overall and earned him the Sprint title.

Johan-Olav Botn had a rollercoaster season, starting and ending with a win but facing plenty of turmoil in between. In his first full World Cup season, he claimed three victories in the first eight races and never placed lower than fifth, earning him the yellow bib by Christmas. The tragic death of Sivert Bakken derailed his momentum, and a subsequent illness ended his chances for the Overall title. However, he bounced back at the Olympics with a gold medal, and strong late-season results secured him third place overall.

Globes

The small globes for the Individual disciplines went to Eric Perrot for the Individual, Pursuit and Mass Start while Sturla Laegreid won the Sprint title.

Isak Frey ended the season in the blue bib as the best biathlete Under 23 finishing 15th in the Total Score with 538 points.

Teams

Of the five Relays on the World Cup this season Norway won four of them taking the Relay globe by 45 points. The only other team to win a race were France and they came second in the standings. Sweden were third in four out of the five races and so came third in the standings too.

The Mixed Relay Score went to Norway, who snatched the lead from France in the final two races of the season.

In the Nations Cup Norway were victorious winning the title for the 21st time.

Olympics

The gold medallists and new Olympic Champions in Antholz were Quentin Fillon Maillet in the Sprint, Martin Ponsiluoma in the Pursuit, Johan-Olav Botn in the Individual and Johannes Dale-Skjevdal in the Mass Start.

France won the Men’s Relay and the Mixed Relay title.

First times

There was only one first time winner on the World Cup and that was Johan-Olav Botn.

Climbing on to the podium for the first time were Philipp Horn in the Hochfilzen Sprint where he was third, Isak Frey who was third in the Ruhpolding Sprint, Sverre Aspenes who was third in the Nove Mesto Mass Start and Campbell Wright got his first World Cup podium finishing second in the same race.

IBU Cup

Last season the IBU Cup was entirely dominated by Norway but this season it was France who were the most successful with the top four places in the Overall! Gaetan Paturel won the Total Score as well as the small globes for the Sprint and Pursuit. The Individual title was won by Elias Seidl and the Mass Start went to Martin Nevland. France also won the Men’s Relay and the Nations Cup.

At the Open European Championships in Sjusjoen Antonin Guigonnat took gold in the Individual and Damien Levet won the Sprint. Isak Frey dropped down from the World Cup to win the Individual gold and anchored the Norwegian team to victory in the Relay.

Para biathlon

Si=Sitting St=Standing VI= Visually Impaired

The Overall Title winners were Derek Zaplotinsky in the Sitting, Mark Arendz in the Standing by just 4 points, and Nico Messinger in the VI.

Paralympic Games

At the Paralympics in Val di Fiemme the Sprint titles went to Taras Rad (Si), Jaiyun Cai (St) and Oleksandr Kazik (VI). The Sprint Pursuits were won by Yerbol Khamitov (Si), Jaiyun Cai (St) and Shuang Yu (VI). The Individual gold medals went to Zixu Liu (Si), Jaiyun Cai (St), and Hesong Dang (VI).

Junior Cup

The Total Score for the Juniors went to Thomas Marchl who also won the Sprint standings and the Mass Start title. Camille Grataloup-Manissolle won the Individual globe. Czechia won both the Relay standings and the Nations Cup.

At World Championships in Arber Philip Lindkvist-Floetten won gold in the Individual, Grzegorz Galica took the Sprint and Kasper Kalkenberg defended his title in the Mass Start 60. France won the Men’s Relay and Latvia took the Mixed Relay gold.

At the European Junior Championships in Imatra David Elias won the Individual while Vladimir Kocmanek won the Sprint. It was Michael Malek who claimed gold in the Mass Start 60. The Mixed Relay title went to Sweden and the Single Mixed to Ukraine.

Youths

At the Youth World Championships in Arber Rihards Lozbers took gold in the Individual, Markus Sklenarik won the Sprint and Georgi Dzhorgov was victorious in the Mass Start 60. Italy won the Men’s Relay while Austria triumphed in the Mixed Relay.

Retirements

The man we thought would never retire has retired! Simon Eder finally hung up his rifle after making his World Cup debut in 2003. I’m sure he will be back though as surely someone will want him as a shooting coach. Other retirees were Antonin Guigonnat, Tomas Kaukenas, American duo Paul Schommer and Jake Brown along with Tomas Sklenarik, Adam Vaclavik and Mikito Tachizaki.

Haldan Borglum and Daniel Gilfillan also ended their careers as well as Mathieu Garcia, Oskar Ohlsson and Daniele Cappellari. Anton Sinapov and Anton Ivarsson also said goodbye to the sport.

Para biathlon saw two retirements as well. Friend of the blog Keiichi Sato chose to wrap up his career in winter sports, and the hardest farewell of all for this blog was to Scotland’s own Scott Meenagh. He made history by taking a silver medal at the World Championship and earning a World Cup podium, becoming the first Brit to achieve such a feat at any level of biathlon.😭

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Season Review 2025/26: Women!

The 2025/26 season was another fantastic one! With 9 World Cup rounds and the Winter Olympic Games to enjoy, there was plenty of action. While the Overall race might not have been as thrilling as in the previous season, there was still no shortage of excitement.

Overall

After finishing second in back-to-back seasons, Lou Jeanmonnot finally claimed the Overall title. There was no drama this time, as she secured the win with two races to spare, though in truth she had it wrapped up before the Olympics. With just three victories, it was her remarkable consistency that earned her the Total Score and three of the four discipline globes. At the Olympics, she took home two golds in the Relays, a silver in the Individual, and a bronze in the Sprint. She also achieved that long-awaited win at her home race in Annecy, triumphing in the Pursuit. Jeanmonnot ended the season with 1,135 points, 177 clear of her closest rival.

Hanna Oberg finished second overall after a late surge in form. In the last three World Cup rounds, she claimed two victories and two runner-up spots, moving her into second place in the rankings — her best-ever result in the Total Score. Over the season, she won four races but skipping the round in Nove Mesto and too many finishes outside the points left her unable to challenge for the big globe.

Lisa Vittozzi also made a late push up the rankings to secure third place in the Total Score. Like Oberg, she picked up two wins and two second-place finishes in the final trimester. She also claimed four victories in total—three on the World Cup circuit and one at the Olympics.

Globes

The small globes for each discipline went to Lou Jeanmonnot for the Sprint, Individual and Pursuit. Julia Simon took home the Mass Start title.

Maren Kirkeeide ended the season in the blue bib for the best biathlete Under 23 with 639 points coming 9th in the Total Score.

Teams

France reclaimed the small globe for the Relay beating Sweden into second by just 5 points. Norway were third.

In the Nations Cup Sweden were the winners for the first time in their history passing France in the final race to win by just 36 points.

Olympics

At the Olympics in Antholz the medals were shared out with a different winner in each race. The gold medallists and Olympic Champions were Maren Kirkeeide in the Sprint, Lisa Vittozzi in the Pursuit, Julia Simon in the Individual and Oceane Michelon in the Mass Start.

France took gold in the Relay with Sweden winning silver and Norway bronze.

First times

This season saw two first time winners on the World Cup and they were Suvi Minkkinen in the Oestersund Sprint and Maren Kirkeeide in the Annecy Mass Start. At the Olympic Games Oceane Michelon took her first win and gold medal in the Mass Start.

Climbing onto the podium for the first time were Sonja Leinamo who was second in the Oestersund Individual and Camille Bened who was third in the same race. Lora Hristova and Tereza Vobornikova got their first-ever podiums at the Olympic Games finishing third in the Individual and Mass Start respectively.

IBU Cup

The Total Score was won by Paula Botet with the top five all from France! She also won the Sprint and Pursuit titles. Voldiya Galmace Paulin retained the Individual title and Amandine Mengin won the Mass Start title. The Relay unsurprisingly went to France as did the Nations Cup.

At the European Championships in Sjusjoen, Anastasiya Merkushyna became Individual champion, Gilonne Guiggonat won the Sprint and the Pursuit. The Relay title was won by France.

Para biathlon World Cup

Si=Sitting St=Standing VI=Visually Impaired

The Overall Titles were won by Anja Wicker in the sitting class for the third year in a row. Natalie Wilkie claimed her first Overall win in the standing as did Johanna Recktenwald in the VI class.

Paralympics

At the Paralympic Games in Val de Fiemme the Sprint titles were claimed by Oksana Masters (Si), Oleksandra Kononova (St) and Yue Wang (VI). The Sprint Pursuit gold medals went to Kendall Gretsch (Si), Natalie Wilkie (St) and Carina Edlingerova(VI). The Individuals were won by Yunji Kim (Si), Natalie Wilkie (St) and Yue Wang (VI).

Junior

The Total Score went to Estere Volfa as did the small globe for the Mass Start. The Sprint title was won by Tetiana Tarasiuk and the Individual title went to Carlotta Gautero. Ukraine won both the Relay Score and the Nations Cup.

At World Championships in Arber it was Themice Fontaine who took gold in the Individual, the Sprint went to Estere Volfa, the Mass Start 60 to Oleksandra Merkushyna and the Relay gold to Germany.

Imatra hosted the Junior European Championships and Greta Lindqvist Seldahl was victorious in the Individual, Manca Caserman won the Sprint and the Mass Start 60 went to Estere Volfa.

Youth

At the Youth World Championships in Arber Michaela Strakova won the Individual and Sprint golds while the Mass Start 60 went to Selina Ganner. Norway won the Youth Relay.

Retirements

There were some big name retirements this season which is expected after an Olympic cycle. Dorothea Wierer and Franziska Preuss hung up their rifles straight after the Olympics while Lisa Teresa Hauser, Tereza Vinklarkova and Paulina Batovska Fialkova quit at the end of the World Cup season.

Other retirees were Julia Fruewirt, Julia Leitinger(nee Schwaiger), Susanna Meinen and Kaja Maric. In Para biathlon Frenchwomen Chloe Pinto also decided to end her career.

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WC9 Holmenkollen 2026: Mass Starts!

The final day in Holmenkollen marked the end of the 2025/26 biathlon season. Even though the men’s race was moved up due to weather concerns, we still enjoyed two fantastic races to wrap up what has been an incredible season on the tracks.

Results

The women’s race in Norway once again came down to a thrilling final lap. This time, Lisa Vittozzi claimed the win without the need for a sprint finish. After an early miss in the first prone put her in 16th place, she fought her way back by hitting every remaining target, setting up a last-lap ski battle with Hanna Oberg. The Swede couldn’t keep pace this time, and Vittozzi pulled away to secure her first Mass Start victory.

Hanna Oberg gave it her all in pursuit of a third straight win in Holmenkollen, leading for most of the race. However, a miss in the final shoot allowed Vittozzi to catch up, leaving Oberg to settle for second place.

Tereza Vobornikova, hitting 19 out of 20, secured third place and held off big names like Elvira Oberg and Ingrid Tandrevold on the final lap to claim her first World Cup podium.

Elvira was 4th and in the fight for the win until two misses in her final standing. Ingrid was 5th also with two misses. Julia Simon after taking an early lead in the race eventually missed three targets to finish 6th.

The men’s race also came down to the final lap, with Johan-Olav Botn facing off against Philipp Nawrath. They were the only two to hit 20 out of 20 shots, taking their time on the range while others rushed and missed. Botn pushed hard to shake Nawrath throughout the last lap, but the German stayed with him until the final few hundred metres, when he dropped back, handing Botn his first Mass Start victory and a win in every discipline in his first full World Cup season.

Nawrath secured a fantastic second place, getting his third podium of the season. Eric Perrot, who led for most of the race, ended up third after his lightning-fast standing shooting caused him to miss a target in each bout, ultimately costing him the victory.

Sturla Laegreid was 4th with 19/20, of course one place ahead of Emilien Jacquelin in 5th who hit 17/20. Martin Ponsiluoma was 6th with three misses.

Hits

Marte Johansen was the only woman to shoot a perfect 20/20, finishing 9th. Making their World Cup Mass Start debuts were Lena Repinc, who placed 13th, and Margie Freed, who came in 21st. Rihards Lozbers also made his first Mass Start appearance, finishing 23rd.

Misses

Tero Seppälä took a nasty fall on the first lap that he couldn’t bounce back from, ending up in last place. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet also had a race to forget, finishing last after racking up 10 misses.

Extra bullets

Johan-Olav Botn became the third man to win the first and last race of the season after Emil Hegle Svendsen and Martin Fourcade.

Eric Perrot had already secured the Mass Start globe before the race, but his teammate Julia Simon, by finishing 6th and ahead of Lou Jeanmonnot, claimed the women’s title.

That concludes the 2025/26 season with Lou Jeanmonnot and Eric Perrot winning the Overall titles and Maren Kirkeeide and Isak Frey winning the Under 23 titles.

We will meet again in Kontiolahti on the 26th of November!

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WC9 Holmenkollen 2026: Pursuits!

EPIC! That’s the only word to describe today’s Pursuits! We witnessed two thrilling head-to-head battles for the win by biathletes at the top of their game, and it was an absolute privilege to watch them in action!

Results

Hanna Oberg claimed her first-ever Pursuit victory and her first Sprint-Pursuit double in the Women’s race, winning by just 0.5 seconds. In an incredible battle with Julia Simon, it all came down to the finish line. After two early misses in the first prone stage for Oberg, Simon closed the gap, and from the second prone onwards, they skied and shot side by side, hitting all remaining targets except one—Simon missed her first shot in the final standing, while Oberg missed her fifth.

It came down to a thrilling ski race to the finish. Oberg made a break and opened up a small gap, but as we all know, Julia Simon never gives up. She closed the gap, and the two were neck and neck approaching the finish line. The outcome was decided by two split-second choices—one good, one bad. Simon made the wrong move trying to pass Oberg on the inside, while Oberg made the right call by taking the lane and blocking Simon’s final push. It was a fantastic race and marked the 15th career win for Hanna Oberg.

Elvira Oberg had a front-row seat to all the action. With just one miss in the first prone and a clean final stand, she began closing in on the pair ahead. She gave it her all in the early part of the lap, but fatigue set in, and she ultimately settled for third place, sharing her eighth podium with Hanna.

Lou Jeanmonnot was 4th, Lisa Vittozzi was 5th and Vanessa Voigt 6th.

If that wasn’t enough, the same thing happened again in the Men’s Pursuit, only this time it was an even closer finish! This time it was Overall winner Eric Perrot going head-to-head with the in-form Sturla Laegreid, and you could feel how determined they were to outdo each other and prove who’s the top dog!

Both men shot a perfect 20/20, but Perrot was always just a bit quicker at clearing the targets, forcing Laegreid to keep chasing him down on the skis. Luckily, he’s in incredible shape and managed to close the gap on Perrot each time, passing him to claim lane one for shooting each time.

After the final shoot, Laegreid closed the gap again and, like Oberg in the women’s race, tried to pull away. But Perrot wasn’t having it, sticking to him like glue. It all came down to a sprint finish! Both men went all out, with plenty of space to push hard, and in the end, Sturla edged it by the length of a boot in a photo finish, both clocking the exact same time. That marked five wins in a row for Sturla, making him only the fourth man to achieve that feat.

Emilien Jacquelin with 18/20 couldn’t fight with the two at the front and had a comfortable race in third place. Martin Ponsiluoma was 4th, Johan-Olav Botn 5th and Vetle Christiansen 6th.

Hits

There were personal bests from Lena Repinc in 13th and Voldiya Galmace Paulin in 34th. In her final race before retiring Tereza Vinklarkova hit 20/20 to go from 44th to 20th.

Gaetan Paturel, fresh from his IBU Overall win, was very impressive going from 32nd to 10th in only his second World Cup race shooting 20/20. In 28th was birthday boy Rihards Lozbers giving himself the present of becoming the youngest man ever to qualify for a Mass Start.

The biggest climber of the day was Pascal Paradis who went from 59th to 27th with 19/20.

Misses

Maya Cloetens was disqualified for a violation of a safety regulation. She needed to change shooting lanes at the second prone and didn’t put her rifle on her back properly when doing so.

With some big gaps in the men’s race 4 biathletes were sadly lapped.

Extra bullets

Lou Jeanmonnot secured the Pursuit globe to add to her collection with 4th place passing Suvi Minkkinen who was 23rd.

With his second place Eric Perrot also took the Pursuit globe.

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WC9 Holmenkollen 2026: Men’s Sprint!

With similar conditions to the Women’s Sprint with soft snow and tough skiing the start order for the Men’s race was also changed.

Results

You won’t be surprised that Sturla Laegreid once again came out on top. This marks his fourth individual win in a row, sixth if you include relays, and an incredible twelfth podium in twelve races! Things could have gone differently today, as he missed a target in the prone, giving his rivals a chance. But none of them capitalized, with his closest challengers also missing one or two shots. In the end, just 3.9 seconds separated him from second place, with a strong final lap from the Norwegian sealing the victory.

You also won’t be surprised to hear that the man in second place was Emilien Jacquelin. It’s the third race in a row where these two have taken first and second, but it’s never gone in the Frenchman’s favour. A miss in the standing shoot cost him today, but he’ll get another chance in the Pursuit.

Eric Perrot took third place with a much stronger race after seeming a bit out of sorts in Otepaa. He had just one miss in the standing shoot and was neck and neck with Jacquelin, narrowly missing second place by only 0.7 seconds!

Even with 2 misses each Martin Ponsiluoma was 4th and Vetle Christiansen 5th while Johan-Olav Botn was 6th with 9/10.

Hits

On his final day as a 16-year-old Rihards Lozbers improved his personal best to 21st with 10/10. Elias Seidl took his PB of 48th and earned a spot in his first World Cup Pursuit.

There were World Cup debuts for Franz Schaser in 24th, Ole Suhrke in 25th, IBU Cup winner Gaetan Paturel in 32nd, Damien Levet in 65th and Philip Lindkvist-Floetten in 68th.

Misses

Two retirees narrowly missed the Pursuit, with Jake Brown finishing 61st and Simon Eder 64th, marking this as their final World Cup race.

Extra bullets

With his win and Sebastian Samuelsson’s 7th place Sturla surged up the Sprint rankings to win the small crystal globe to complete his collection having won all the disciplines now. They actually finished on the same points, 356, but with 2 wins to Sebbe’s 1 the Norwegian secured the title.

Norway also sealed the Nations Cup winning it for the 21st time!

Thanks to his third place finish Eric Perrot was crowned Overall winner and will receive the big crystal globe on Sunday becoming the 5th French winner of the Total Score.

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