Showdown in Oestersund: What to expect at the IBU Youth and Junior World Championships

IBU Junior Cup, IBU Youth Junior World Championships

25 Feb 2025

Showdown in Oestersund: What to expect at the IBU Youth and Junior World Championships

The highlight of the season for youth and junior athletes is the World Championships in Oestersund, Sweden. From 24 February to 5 March, they will be competing for the medals. Who will come out on top in the end?

The search is for the successors to Julia Tannheimer and Isak Frey. The two athletes dominated YJWCH last year and have been able to try out and impress in the BMW IBU World Cup and IBU Cup this season. They are role models for the young athletes competing at the World Championships this season.

Oestersund is hosting the World Championships for youth and juniors this year, and six years after the 2019 World Championships, the Swedish biathlon center will once again host international title competitions. The modern, compact stadium and the Arctura on the edge of the pine forest invite athletes to perform at their best.

A total of almost five hundred athletes from 40 nations will be travelling to Oestersund to compete for medals in 18 exciting races. The competitions begin with the individual before the team performance counts with the mixed relay on the second day of the competition. This is followed by the sprints, mass starts 60 and then the crowning finale with the relay competitions. All races will be livestreamed on Biathlonworld by Eurovision Sport.

Who can jump on the podium?

Fabiana Carpella is currently leading the overall standing in the women's race. She showed the most consistent performances during the IBU Junior Cup and fought for top places. Amandine Mengin and Voldiya Galmace Paulin are two strong competitors from France who have already shown top performances in the IBU Cup this season. Their team-mate Anaelle Bondoux has already won three races in the IBU Junior Cup this season but was injured during preparation. You should also keep an eye on Anna Andexer from Austria, who won the overall standings of the IBU Junior Cup last season. Sara Andersson from Sweden will be particularly motivated to win a medal in her home country. Ilona Plechacova from the Czech Republic and Lea Zimmermann from Germany are among the favorites. The German and Norwegian teams are among the favorites in the relay.

Grzegorz Galica from Poland is travelling to Oestersund with three gold medals from the IBU Junior Open European Championships in Altenberg. He also won two gold medals at the European Youth Olympic Festivals in February. Will there be more to come in Sweden? The Norwegian team around Kasper Kalkenberg might have something against it. Last year he was the most successful youth athlete in Otepaa - this year he is competing in the junior category. Linus Kesper from Germany and Felix Ratschiller from Italy come to Oestersund with convincing placings from the IBU Junior Cup. With Elias Seidel and Fabian Kaskel, the German team has two more skiers in its ranks who have already won races this season. Sondre Slettemark from Greenland also has a good chance of winning a medal. In the relay, Norway is likely to fight for victory with Germany and France, but perhaps the hosts from Sweden could surprise.