France’s Lou Jeanmonnot led through all four stages of this afternoon’s Oslo Holmenkollen Women’s 10 km Pursuit, but two clean standing stages separated her from the field skiing to a comfortable 30:16.9 victory. Jeanmonnot’s eighth win of the season moved her into the Yellow Bib for tomorrow’s season-ending Mass Start. With her fourth Pursuit win, Jeanmonnot also captured her second discipline Globe for the World Cup Pursuit Score, after receiving the Individual Score Globe yesterday.

Cleaning Last Standing, “Really important”

Jeanmonnot after a second prone penalty, focused on shooting clean in the last standing stage. “It was really important to me to achieve this perfect shot in the last shooting. I had some difficulties before to finish clean in a race. I was thinking about it before arriving at the shooting range. Achieving it today is really important to me.”

In Yellow, “I will do my best”

After getting closer and closer to Yellow in recent weeks, the French star moved atop the standings with 1193 points to Franziska Preuss’ 1188. Realizing she would wear Yellow on Sunday left the usually talkative Jeanmonnot speechless. Wiping away tears, “Amazing…I will try to do my best.”

Sweden’s Elvira Oeberg finished second, with two penalties, 22.2 seconds back. Switzerland’s Lean Haecki-Gross finished with her first podium of the season in third place, also with two penalties, 24.2 seconds back.

Norway’s Ida Lien matched her Sprint result in fourth, with one penalty, 25.8 seconds back. Germany’s Franziska Preuss finished fifth, with three penalties, 26.3 seconds back. Slovakia’s Paulina Batovska Fialkova moved from 44th to sixth place, with one penalty, 36.2 seconds back. Late afternoon Oslo continued with its spectacular spring-like backdrop for the last women’s pursuit of the season.

Photos: IBU/ Manzoni, Nordnes, Nordic Focus