With winter now drawing near, the battles for national honours on roller skis have come to a close. Throughout September and into early October, biathletes across Europe lined up for their national championships, offering a first taste of competition ahead of the winter season. This article looks back at a selection of national events held along the road to winter.

Four Winners Emerge from the Swiss Championships

Lenzerheide hosted the Swiss roller-ski championships on 5–6 September, with the Elite field competing in a Sprint and a Short Individual. The weekend produced four different winners: Aita Gasparin and Dajan Danuser took the Sprint titles on Saturday, while Coralie Langel and Sebastian Stalder came out on top in Sunday’s Short Individual.

Second in the Sprint went to Lea Meier and Joscha Burkhalter, while Langel and Niklas Hartweg rounded out Saturday’s podiums in third. Gasparin added a second place in Sunday’s Short Individual, finishing ahead of Lara Berwert, while Danseur and Remo Burch completed the men’s podium.

Klemenčič and Dovžan Double Up in Pokljuka

Over the same weekend, the Slovenian championships took place at the Triglav Sports Centre, where Polona Klemenčič and Miha Dovžan claimed both titles. Both athletes won Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Mass Start.

Among the women, Lena Repinc and Ela Sever shared the remaining podium places in both races. In the men’s Sprint, Drejc Meglič and Matic Bradeško completed the podium, while Lovro Planko and Tadej Repnič joined Dovžan on the Mass Start podium.

Leinamo Doubles Up in Kontiolahti

The second weekend of September brought the Finnish championships to Kontiolahti, where the Elite field faced a Sprint on Saturday before switching to the Individual on Sunday. Sonja Leinamo proved the standout performer of the weekend, following up her Sprint victory with another win in the Individual. In Saturday’s race, she finished ahead of Inka Hämäläinen and Sofia Joronen, while Jonni Mukkala took the men’s title ahead of Tuomas Harjula and Arttu Heikkinen.

Harjula was back on the podium in Sunday’s Individual, this time taking silver behind Arttu Remes, with Kalle Loukkaanhuhta completing the men’s top three. In the women’s race, Noora Kaisa Keränen and Heidi Kuuttinen joined Leinamo on the podium.

Remenova Sisters Share the Honours in Osrblie

The third Saturday of September brought a packed weekend of racing to Osrblie, with the Slovak championships featuring the Sprint on Saturday and Mass Start on Sunday. Maria Remenova set the tone in the women’s Sprint, overcoming one mistake in standing to take the title by more than 45 seconds ahead of clean-shooting Ema Kapustova, with Tamara Molentova in third. Jakub Borgula claimed the men’s title, finishing ahead of Martin Matko and Matej Badan.

Sunday brought a family affair in the women’s Mass Start, as Zuzana Remenova made one fewer shooting mistake than her sister Maria to take the gold, with Molentova again completing the podium. In the men’s race, Matko and Borgula swapped places at the top, with Matko taking the title ahead of Borgula, while Badan once again finished third.

Coltea and Shamaev Take Turns at the Top in Cheile Gradistei

The Romanian championships unfolded across the same weekend in Cheile Gradistei, with the field competing in a Supersprint, Sprint and Mass Start from Friday to Sunday. George Coltea struck first in Friday’s Supersprint, overcoming four shooting mistakes to finish ahead of clean-shooting George Buta, with Cornel Puchianu in third. Coltea then completed a second victory in Saturday’s Sprint, this time followed by Puchianu and Dmitrii Shamaev. Shamaev had the final word on Sunday, taking the Mass Start title ahead of Puchianu and Buta.

The women’s field featured just two home athletes, with Andreea Mezdrea finishing ahead of Andreea Schiop in all three races.

Czech Titles Stay in Familiar Hands in Letohrad

The final weekend of September brought the Czech championships to Letohrad, with the Sprint on Saturday followed by Pursuit races on Sunday. Lucie Charvatova successfully defended her Sprint title, finishing ahead of Tereza Vobornikova and Jessica Jislova. The men’s race saw another repeat winner, as Letohrad native Tomas Mikyska followed up on last year’s triumph, taking the title ahead of Vitezslav Hornig and Marecek, with all three men producing clean shooting performances.

The men’s podium remained unchanged in Sunday’s Pursuit, while Tereza Vobornikova moved to the top step in the women’s race, followed by Jislova and Tereza Vinklarkova. Charvatova did not start after falling ill with a cold.

Four Winners Share the Honours in Duszniki-Zdroj

The same weekend also saw action just across the Czech border, with the Polish championships taking place in Duszniki-Zdroj. Saturday’s Sprints were won by Konrad Badacz and Daria Gembicka, with Jan Gunka and Grzegorz Galica joining Badacz on the men’s podium, while Natalia Sidorowicz and Monika Hojnisz-Staręga completed the women’s top three. In Sunday’s Mass Starts, Jan Gunka moved to the top step in the men’s race ahead of Galica and Fabian Suchodolski, while Monika Hojnisz-Staręga took the women’s title ahead of Sidorowicz and Kamila Cichon.

Yasenych Makes Her Mark in Yavoriv

The Ukrainian championships in Yavoriv on 26–27 September produced a surprise winner, as 19-year-old Viktoriia Yasenych claimed the women’s Sprint title with clean shooting. She finished 25 seconds ahead of Oleksandra Merkushyna and 29 seconds clear of Daryna Chalyk. In Sunday’s Mass Start, Yasenych came close to another victory, finishing second behind the faster Olena Horodna. Kseniia Prykhodko crossed the line first, but having been disqualified in Saturday’s Sprint, she was not eligible for the Mass Start and competed outside the competition.

Among the men, Bohdan Tsymbal upset the expected winner Vitalii Mandzyn in Saturday’s Sprint, beating him by 12 seconds, with Bohdan Borkovskyi completing the podium. Mandzyn had the final word in Sunday’s Mass Start, taking the title ahead of Artem Tyshchenko and Anton Dudchenko.

Ignalina Brings the National Championships Series to a Close

The final national championships of the roller-ski season took place in Ignalina, Lithuania, where the field lined up for a Sprint on Saturday and Mass Start races on Sunday. Nikita Cygak struck first in the men’s Sprint, finishing ahead of Vytautas Strolia and Maksim Fomin, while Natalija Kochergina claimed the women’s title ahead of Lukrecija Daugirdajte and Juste Umbrasaite.

Sunday brought a change at the top in both races. Vytautas Strolia took the men’s Mass Start ahead of Maksim Fomin and Cygak, while Lukrecija Daugirdajte had the final word among the women, beating Kochergina and Sara Urumova. With four different winners across the two days, the Lithuanian championships provided a fitting finale to the series of summer national events.

Photos: Manzoni/IBU, Finnish Biathlon, Czech Biathlon, Ukrainian Biathlon