Blunted by the triumphant World Championships in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), which ended on February 18 with 13 medals, were the bodies of the French biathletes showing fatigue? After missing out on the last individual of the season, during the resumption of the World Cup, in Oslo (Norway), the Blues battled at the mass start, Saturday March 2, to get back on track.
In difficult conditions, Julia Simon (16/20 shooting) climbed onto the second step of the podium, ahead of the Swiss Lena Haecki-Gross (18/20), who claimed her second career victory. Lou Jeanmonnot sprinted past her opponents, the Norwegian Ingrid Tandrevold (4th) and the Italian Lisa Vittozzi (5th) to take third place.
Playing the rifle between the fog and the raindrops, Julia Simon – red leader's bib in the specialty ranking on her shoulders – opted for a fast strategy on the shooting range. A winning bet given its freshness today. Despite four faults, the Savoyard was in second position when entering the last lap, 19 seconds behind Lena Haecki-Gross. Too much to be able to hope for victory, but enough to get ahead of her main competitors in the race for the big crystal globe – which rewards the best biathlete of the season.
“With these conditions, we had to be very attentive, especially on prone shots. I was fooled by the little flags that stop and the wind that turns. Today I think we had to be committed and I did it. I am very happy to find this box. It was a good attack race, what was needed for today,” reacted Julia Simon, speaking to La Chaîne L’Equipe.
The big crystal globe still playable
Now third in the general classification with 762 points, the Frenchwoman is only 97 points behind leader Ingrid Tandrevold and four points behind Lisa Vitozzi, 2nd. The Norwegian, at the foot of the podium on Saturday thanks to a satisfactory shot (17/20), confirms her current form after returning to victory the day before, in front of her audience, during the individual.
Bad operation on the other hand for Justine Braisaz Bouchet, Olympic and world champion in the specialty, but 11th of the day (at 1:04:05), who plummets in the general ranking (4th, 755 points). Same sentence for Elvira Oeberg, 9th in the mass start, who literally fell, trapped in the penultimate lap. The Swede fell to 5th place overall (709 points).
The last two World Cup weekends, in Soldier Hollow (United States) and Canmore (Canada), will therefore act as justice of the peace in the race for the big crystal globe. But first, it’s time for the mixed relays on Sunday, where France – world champion in the discipline – excels.
