Perfection for Jeanmonnot in Short Individual Victory
France’s Lou Jeanmonnot took control of the Kontiolahti Women’s 12.5 km Short Individual this evening in the first standing stage, shooting clean and going unchallenged to the finish to victory in 35:52.3 and the first Yellow Bib of her career.
Seventh Consecutive Podium
Today’s victory gave Jeanmonnot her seventh consecutive podium, going back to the end of last season. “Relief at first, because you never know what happened in the summer preparation. I was stressed about how the summer went, but it worked well, and I am at the same level as last year.”
Yellow Bib: “My goal this season”
Jeanmonnot reached one of her goals, taking the Yellow Bib. “It is my goal this season to be able to fight for it. Being able to have it since the first is so cool. It is going to be hard work in my head to fight for it but I am really happy to have this challenge.”
Halvarsson, “It is an amazing feeling”
Sweden’s Ella Halvarsson, with one penalty finished in a career-best, first-ever podium in second place, 12.3 seconds back. She was almost speechless with this individual podium just days after winning the Single Mixed Relay with Sebastian Samuelsson. “I do not know what to say. It is an amazing feeling. I had no idea it would be this good! I felt my skiing was really good; I almost did not get tired…To be second place, I couldn’t believe that.”
Her teammate Elvira Oeberg, with three penalties finished third, 56.4 seconds back. Poland’s Natalia Sidorowicz shot clean for a personal best fourth place, 1:08.2 back. Germany’s Franziska Preuss finished fifth, 1:09.6 back with two penalties. Preuss’ good friend Lisa Theresa Hauser of Austria finished sixth, 1:23 back with a single miss.
Cold evening: 102 starters
A big field of 102 women started this evening with very light winds and -8C temperature prevailing. Under the new start system, as with the men, the podium battle did not start until about half the field was on the tracks.
Bib number 4 Halvarsson started fast with a clean-shooting first prone, only topped by Elvira later. Preuss also cleaned, moving to third, while Jeanmonnot matched but was 23 seconds back in seventh.
Jeanmonnot Jumps to Top Spot
Elvira missed a shot in the first standing, falling behind Anna-Karin Heidjenberg by three seconds. Yet, when Jeanmonnot cleaned, she jumped to the top of the leaderboard and never relinquished it.
In the second prone stage, Halvarsson cleaned after previously missing a standing shot, going to third behind the 15-for-15 Jeanmonnot.
2024/25 BMW IBU World Cup 1 Kontiolahti Women's Short Individual
Unchallenged in Last Loop
After a fast loop, Elvira missed a shot in the last standing, dropping to sixth but another very fast loop, moved her to third just behind Halvarsson. However, Jeanmonnot with her destiny on the line, was focused and clean, taking a 17-second lead, and going unchallenged to victory.
Photos: IBU/Romans Koksarovs, Nordic Focus/Leo Authamayou
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