In France, Franziska Preuss and Johannes Thingnes Boe kept their winning momentum as they go in to the Christmas break in yellow - with comprehensive leads to boot. Selina Grotian and Martin Uldal secured their first World Cup wins and Tarjei Boe struck back just when he needed it most, winning in the Mass Start. In Obertilliach, Johan Olav Botn and Paula Botet finished Trimester 1 as the IBU Cup Total Score leaders. At the IBU Junior Cup in Goms, Anaelle Bondoux won twice as she searched for the form that made her one of the fastest biathletes last winter.

Don’t stop them now - Preuss - and Germany - on a roll

Franziska Preuss’ phenomenal consistency has her leading the Total Score standings with 565 points heading into the Christmas break, thanks to podium finishes in every venue, including two wins. The incredible form of the German women’s team was further underscored by Selina Grotian’s career-first World Cup victory in the Annecy Mass Start at just 20 years old. Grotian’s achievement places her among the youngest winners in German biathlon history, following in the footsteps of legends like Magdalena Neuner, Uschi Disl, and Martina Glagow. Vanessa Voigt, despite missing the Mass Start, is in fifth place in the Total Score standings.

While German men didn’t exactly match their women’s colleagues performance, they, too, excelled in France: Danilo Riethmueller scored his first-ever World Cup podium with a second place in the Mass Start, Phillip Horn was fourth in the Sprint and eighth in the Pursuit and Philipp Nawrath sixth in the Sprint and seventh in the Mass Start.

Norway having such a good time, French men not having a ball

Johannes Thingnes Boe claimed his 88th World Cup victory, extending his Total Score lead and edging closer to Ole Einar Bjoerndalen's record of 95 wins. Martin Uldal stole the spotlight with his first-ever World Cup triumph, matching Sturla Holm Laegreid’s rare feat of winning in just his fifth World Cup start. Meanwhile, Tarjei Boe proved that age is just a number, becoming the fifth-oldest World Cup winner with his inspired Mass Start performance.

The French men wanted more in front of an incredible home crowd but closed the week with a second (Eric Perrot) and third (Emilien Jacquelin) place in the Pursuit and nothing else. Quentin Fillon Maillet was fast enough to fight for the podium on any given day - but had perhaps the worst week of shooting of his career, with his accuracy at only 74%!

Shooting let Sweden’s Shooting Stars down

Sebastian Samuelsson and Elvira Oeberg showcased their trademark blistering ski speed, but a whirlwind of missed targets turned their races into penalty loop marathons. Samuelsson powered through nine penalty loops, while Oeberg had to endure ten, as their accuracy dropped to 82% (Samuelsson) and 80% (Oeberg). Samuelsson had more problems in the standing shooting, missing five shots, while Elvira’s prone accuracy amounted to a meagre 76% in France. Despite the setbacks, their relentless pace on the skis kept them in the battle for the Total Score win - the question is how long they can keep drawing from their energy reserves if their accuracy doesn’t improve in January.

Botn and Botet lead in the IBU Cup Total Score standings

Paula Botet and Johan Olav Botn, the IBU Cup Total Score leaders, have dominated the field with a world-class ski speed. Botet has two wins and four further podiums to her name in Trimester 1, and Botn a win in Obertilliach that followed six consecutive second-place finishes. They are both waiting for their much-anticipated World Cup returns in 2025.

Bondoux returns to the IBU Junior Cup, wins twice

In a search for a form that saw her win the IBU Cup Mass Start Score last winter, Anaelle Bondoux returned to the IBU Junior Cup and won in the Sprint and Mass Start 60. Her compatriots Amandine Menign and Guillaume Poirot are the IBU Junior Cup Total Score leaders.

Photo: IBU: Authanayou, Deubert, Vianney; Nordic Focus: Manzoni