France's Amandine Mengin and Norway's Kasper Kalkenberg dominated the IBU Junior World Championships in Oestersund. They have thus qualified for the season finale of the BMW IBU World Cup in Oslo at Holmenkollen.

What a season for Amandine Mengin: she became world champion in the junior relay, won two silver medals in the individual and mixed relay and came third in the sprint. In the mass start 60, she only just missed out on another medal in fourth place. Her season began in the IBU Junior Cup, then she qualified for the French IBU Cup team thanks to her good performances. There she celebrated two victories in January and in March she will even be competing in the World Cup.

Kasper Kalkenberg took home two gold medals from the IBU Junior World Championships in Oestersund. He won the mass start 60 and the relay with his team-mates. He also won a silver medal in the individual event. Now he can compete in World Cup races with his idols.

After the competitions in Oestersund, we caught up with the two young top athletes to get their first impressions of this incredibly successful season and ask them 5 burning questions:

Biathlonworld: What was your best moment of the World Championships for you?

Amandine Mengin: There were many outstanding moments for me during the IBU Junior World Championships, but the title in the relay with my team was particularly nice. It was my first time at the Junior World Championships, and I have no words to describe everything that happened these days.

Kasper Kalkenberg: I didn't start these races very well and was surprised that my form improved so much. That's why the victory in the mass start 60 was the best for me, as it was a race with difficult conditions. Then to win the gold medal, it doesn't get any better than that.

BW: Your success at the World Championships means you can go to the BMW IBU Worldcup in Oslo. What does it mean for you?

AM: I would never have expected to be able to compete in the BMW IBU World Cup this season. That means a lot to me. I can't even realise it yet. I hope that I can gain a lot of good experiences so that I can remember it for a long time. But I'm also a bit nervous before my first race.

KK: I couldn't think about anything else in the past few days. It's crazy that I'm now running in a race with the big names like Johannes Thingsnes Boe. I couldn't have imagined it before the season. There will be a lot of new things that I will experience for the first time, but I think it will also be a lot of fun.

BW: Which athlete from the World Cup inspires you and why?

AM: There are many athletes who inspire me, especially in the French team. I was in the IBU Cup with Sophie Chauveau, and we became friends.

KK: The Boe brothers Johannes and Tarjei are my idols. They are so good but seem so relaxed from the outside. They were at the top of the world for so long.

BW: What was a challenge for you this season?

AM: I started the season without any expectations. I was first in the IBU Junior Cup, then in the IBU Cup and now I can compete in the BMW IBU World Cup. I've celebrated so many successes that I must realise it first. It all happens so quickly.

KK: At the start of the season, I wasn't as good as I would have liked. I first had to find my rhythm. That was a challenge.

BW: What will you do when the season is over, and you come home?

AM: I will look at my medals and crystal globes and enjoy my life.

KK: Relax. The World Championships in Oestersund were exhausting and what's to come will also be intense. I need to recharge my batteries.

Photos: IBU I Danielsson