When working in biathlon, the IBU media team gets to experience all of the biggest moments from the front row seat. From the first podium of the career to Olympic gold celebrations, here are the media team's favourite moments from the season!

Sonja's first podium

"It was the first individual race of the season, and there were a lot of misses. But then I saw Sonja Leinamo entering the final shooting with just one miss. My heart rate went through the roof when I watched her shooting, and when she came out clean from it, I knew a podium was so close. In the end, it was just +0.3 seconds between her and Dorothea Wierer, who won the race.

I remember hugging her at the finish and Sonja being so confused about what had just happened. I remember being so proud of her, and for me, this was the perfect start to the season!" Jenni Ahonen, IBU Content creator

Tommaso's emotional win

"The unexpected and tragic loss of Sivert Bakken hit everyone, but the shock for Tommy, who was supposed to train with Sivert that day, was beyond comprehension, as well as for the Norwegian's teammates. Somehow, in the following days, the young Italian gathered himself, saluted his fallen friend by winning that sprint, saying the day before that he would give “my best to make him proud.”

After the win, he lamented, "It's at the same time one of the saddest and the best day on the sports side; a lot of mixed feelings, but I think Sivert would be really proud of me today... On the last loop, the coaches told me, ‘You are doing that for yourself but also for him.’ I think that gave me something more." Jerry Kokesh, IBU Content creator

Sibling victory in the mixed singles relay at the IBU Junior Open European Championships in Imatra

"Tetiana and Taras Tarasiuk secured the only Ukrainian victory in the Junior Cup this season (excluding Merkushyna’s victory at the JWCH). The race was very exciting, as many countries were right up there at the front. At the finish line, the emotions were overwhelming; the two of them embraced, had tears in their eyes, and then celebrated with the whole team. Often, there’s hardly any emotion in the Junior Cup because the young athletes are often very shy. In total, the pair only need five spare rounds at the shooting range. In the second round, neither of them needed to reload at all; for Tetiana in particular, it was the first time she had managed to complete ten shots without a single miss." Lisa Gerth, IBU Junior Cup media manager

An emotional Facetime after victory

"A special moment for me was the victory of Anastasiya Merkushyna (UKR) at the IBU Open European Championships in Sjusjøen. In the individual, she started with bib number 8, hit all 20 targets, and then had to wait as one competitor after another crossed the finish line – in the end, only a few seconds decided the gold medal.

It took a few minutes before Anastasiya realized that she had won the European title. Already during and after the award ceremony, she was celebrated by her teammates, creating an incredibly warm atmosphere. Volunteers on site also approached her for autographs.

Afterwards, she called her younger sister Oleksandra via FaceTime, held her medal up to the camera and shared her success with her. For Oleksandra, who was more than 1,000 kilometers away, tears of joy began to flow. This moment touched me deeply, as it brought together relief and pure happiness. I have to admit, it moved me to tears as well." Katharina Logisch, IBU Content creator

Czech fans going wild for the home team

"It’s not something I’ll forget anytime soon—the Czech team’s bronze in the Mixed Relay in Nové Město na Moravě. I was there for work, but in that final stretch, it was hard to focus on anything but the race. At the finish, I got swept into the moment with the team, all of us urging Michal Krčmář toward the line, while behind me the stands erupted, tens of thousands of Czech fans, loud and completely locked in. It felt less like watching and more like being part of it." Katerina Outla, IBU Content creator

Lisa's golden day

"There would be so much to say about Lisa Vittozzi’s victory in the women’s pursuit at the Olympics. The facts alone make it a career-defining moment for her and a milestone for Italian sport: no-one before had won an Olympic gold medal in biathlon for Italy, and Lisa herself had never claimed an individual medal at the Games, nor a victory on home snow in Anterselva.

But the emotion of this gold medal runs deeper, into a story of failure and redemption. Like the phoenix she evoked with her finish-line bow, Lisa rose from her ashes, overcame doubts and injuries, defied the odds and, finally, the pressure of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to a lifelong dream.

There was hardly a dry eye in the stadium that day as she celebrated, while fans from every corner of the world stayed until the end of the Italian national anthem, a sign of how deeply her story resonated, inspiring people to keep chasing their dreams even when nothing seems to go the right way." Giulio Gasparin, IBU Content creator

"Lisa Vittozzi winning a gold medal in the Pursuit in Antholz 2026, because she delivered on perhaps the biggest day of her career. Despite the immense physical effort and the complexity that biathlon demands, she did so with calm elegance—a true sprezzatura. Wonderful!" Jaka Lucu, Publications manager

Isak Leknes Frey's Kontiolahti mass start

"Breaking the rifle on the first lap, switching to a spare one and missing four targets in the very first shooting - this is not how any athlete wants to begin a race. After such a start, many would find it hard to continue, especially a young athlete without much experience.

You could see that Frey was upset, yet he didn’t let it take over, even managing to smile to his team after the penalty loop, as if to say that things like this just happen, and it’s up to you how you deal with them. His way of handling it, staying in the race and not giving up, together with the incredible support from the fans, is what made this moment special. And when he finally closed all five targets in the last standing and finished with a smile, cheered by the whole stadium, it felt like something bigger than the result. Sometimes, being a winner is not about the podium." Mariya Osolodkina, World Cup media manager

Photos: IBU Photopool