His voice sets the rhythm, his calm keeps the partnership steady, and his bond with an athlete ensures that together, they glide through the intensity of Para Biathlon as one—proving that trust, communication, and resilience can turn two skiers into a single force on the snow. For the last three seasons, Florian Michelon has been the guide of successful French Para Biathlete Anthony Chalencon, who competes in the vision impaired category.

Michelon spent eight years competing in biathlon at the national level as part of the Équipe Savoie Nordique, the French regional biathlon team. When he retired from competitive racing in 2022, he thought his days on the shooting range and ski trails might be behind him. But an unexpected opportunity arrived.

“After I retired, Alexandre Pouyé, one of Anthony’s previous guides, asked me if I wanted to try guiding,” Michelon recalls. “I had no experience in para sport, but I was passionate about biathlon. Guiding felt like a chance to keep living my passion.”

A meeting with Chalencon, Pouyé, and head coach Vincent Duchêne sealed the decision. Soon after, Michelon’s journey as a guide began. Guiding a fully blind athlete (Chalencon competes in the B1/NS1 category) demands constant focus and communication.

It is a role that requires not just physical fitness, but also composure under pressure. “The key is to stay calm all the time. And of course, getting along well with each other—because we spend so much time together.”

Their cooperation brought good results from the very beginning. In their first season, they won the silver medal in the individual race at the World Championships. Over the following two years, they added four more WCH medals. Ahead of them—in just six months—lies their first Paralympic Games together. At previous Games, the now 35-year-old Chalencon had already claimed bronze. In 2018, he finished third in the 15km race, with Simon Valverde as his guide.

Beside him Chalencon had previously raced with guides Pouyé and Brice Otonello, and the foundations they laid helped Michelon quickly establish a strong working relationship.

“It wasn’t difficult to build a bond,” Michelon says. “Anthony already knew what he wanted from me, and I could learn from what had worked—and what hadn’t—with his past guides. That made our communication very effective from the beginning.”

Michelon and Chalencon’s training program mirrors that of able-bodied biathletes. From May to March, they work year-round, preparing for every possible race scenario. Their regimen includes running, roller skiing, tandem cycling, strength work, and, of course, cross-country skiing and biathlon. Together they build routines, from warm-up to cool-down, to ensure consistency and safety during competition.

“The preparation for a World Cup season is very similar to that of any other biathlete,” Michelon emphasizes. “We need to be ready for everything that can happen on the track.”

Biathlon runs deep in the Florian’s family. His cousin, Océane Michelon, is an accomplished able-bodied biathlete. Their shared passion often brings them together—whether on the trails near Chambéry or at family gatherings.

“With Océane, we often see each other while training,” says Michelon. “I follow her races, and I’m very impressed by her results. She follows ours too and often sends us congratulatory messages. I’m very proud that both of us have found success in biathlon and para biathlon.”

Michelon has also earned recognition beyond the ski trails. Trusted by both colleagues and rivals, he was elected—alongside Canada’s Mark Arendz and Germany’s Anja Wicker—to the Para Biathlon IBU Athletes’ Committee. Serving a four-year term, the trio represents both sexes and all three competition categories. Their role as Para Biathlon Athletes’ Representatives is to give active athletes a voice in the governance of the sport, ensuring their perspective is heard and providing advice to the IBU Executive Board on matters that shape the future of Para Biathlon.

Photos: Kacin | IBU, Krystek | IBU