After a tumultuous Olympic season, capped by a flurry of retirements and a spring holidays, most teams have reset their rosters, including a few surprises and some late retirements.

Norwegian Drama: Stroemsheim and Soerum out, Hedegart in

Norway created some drama in their team announcements. Sturla Holm Laegreid, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen, Johannes Dale-Skjevdal and Martin Uldal return from last season’s World Cup squad. Joining them are Olympic Champion Johan-Olav Smoerdal Botn and Isak Leknes Frey. Surprisingly, 2025 IBU Mass Start World Champion Endre Stroemsheim who has a guaranteed start at the 2027 LaVita IBU WCH and Vebjoern Soerum, both of whom struggled with illness last winter were left outside not just the WC team, but the national training structure.

The biggest news came with the addition of Milano Cortina Cross-country double-Gold medallist Einar Hedegart to the B team. The 24-year-old who won three medals at the 2023 IBU YJWCH has been tabbed as the next great Norwegian biathlon talent.

Knotten returns, Sidelined after Surgery

On the women’s side, Karoline Offigstad Knotten moved back to the women’s WC team, but is now out indefinitely after emergency appendix surgery. When cleared to train, she joins Olympic Sprint Gold medalist Maren Kirkeeide, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, Juni Arnekleiv, and Marthe Krakstad Johansen. Gro Randby moves up to the World Cup team after 4 podiums in the final five IBU Cups last winter.

Haecki-Gross and Gasparin on Swiss A Team

Switzerland, with a new coaching staff, stood pat with Amy Baserga and Lea Meier both named to the National team, while Aita Gasparin, Lena Haecki-Gross, Sebastian Stalder, Joscha Burkhalter, and Niklas Hartweg were named to Frame A.

Seven Men, Seven Women on Swedish Team

Sweden lost no one from their core group to retirement, going into the new season with seven men and the deep seven-women’s squad that won the Nations Cup for the first time. The Oeberg sisters, Lin Gestblom, Anna Magnusson, and Johanna Skottheim plus the youthful Ella Halvarsson and Anna-Karin Heijdenberg fill the roster.

The men added JWCH Gold and Silver medalist Philip Lindkvist-Floetten, 19, to their veteran roster. Born to a Swedish mother, Lindkvist-Floetten lived and trained in Lillehammer, before moving to Oestersund in mid-May. He joins Olympic Pursuit Gold medalist Martin Ponsiluoma, World Cup Total Score fourth-place finisher Sebastian Samuelsson, Jesper Nelin, Malte Stefansson, and Viktor Brandt in the men’s training group.

Familiar Faces in France

France returned all of the familiar faces from last season.The Nations Cup-winning French men’s team is a carbon copy of last season with IBU Cup Total Score titlist Gaetan Paturel the only new face. World Cup Total Score winner Eric Perrot tops the roster along with Olympic Sprint Champion Quentin Fillon Maillet, Fabien and Emilien Claude, Oscar Lombardot and Emilien Jacquelin. The latter will not train with the team this summer as he pursues opportunities as a professional cyclist.

Women’s Total Score winner Lou Jeanmonnot tops the deep women’s squad of Olympic 15 km Gold medalist Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Olympic Mass Start Champion Oceane Michelon, Camille Bened, and Jeanne Richard. IBU Total Score winner Paula Botet remains with the B team but will train with the World Cup squad several times this summer.

Austria, Germany and Ukraine

Austria, after the retirement of Simon Eder, David Komatz, and Lisa Theresa Hauser has a small A team. Patrick Jacob and Dominic Unterweger are the only men with Anna Gandler, Anna Andexer, Tamara Steiner, Lea Rothschopf, and Dunja Zdouc compromising the women’s top group.

Germany, after Franziska Preuss’ and Johannes Kuehn’s retirements, look similar to last season. Janina Hettich-Walz, Vanessa Voigt, and Anna Weidel head the seven-women team that includes the next generation’s Selina Grotian, Julia Tannheimer, Marlene Fitchner, and Julia Kink.

The men’s group is filled with veterans led by Philipp Nawrath, Justus Stelow, Philipp Horn, Danilo Riethmueller, and David Zobel plus newcomer Leonhard Pfund.

Ukraine revealed teams of 10 women and seven men for their A teams. Dmytro Pidruchnyi rejoins the group after several years outside the structure. The biggest change finds Anastasiya Merkushyna and her sister Oleksandra, who won two medals at the 2026 IBU YJWCH, training with the B group by choice under the guidance of their father. Four-time Olympian and 2014 Relay Gold medalist Yulia Dzhima is also on the B team roster.

Krcmar Back for Season 15

Czechia finds Michal Krcmar back for his 15th World Cup season, while 2026 Olympian Tomas Mikyska left the team to pursue opportunities in cross-country. The women added juniors Ilona Plecháčová, Heda Mikolasova, along with IBU Cup competitor Kateřina Pavlu to the women’s team headed by Tereza Vobornikova and Marketa Davidova. Davidova, after another back surgery, will have an extensive rehab period before starting training and rejoining the team.

Finland tapped 4 women and 5 men for their top group, led by Olympic Bronze medallist Suvi Minkkinen as well as by Tero Seppala, who teams up with Minkinnen for a very successful single mixed relay pairing.

Photos: IBU/ Christian Manzoni, Nordic Focus, Svensk Skidskytte