With her energy levels depleted, Lou Jeanmonnot managed the stress of Otepaa extremely well, adding two third places to her season’s balance sheet and edging very close to the Total Score title. Eric Perrot has all but sealed the win, despite finishing just 12th and 11th in the warm weather and strong winds of Estonia.

Minkkinen still with a small chance

Jeanmonnot, shaken by her poor performance in Kontiolahti, came to Otepaa with one wish only: to manage her nerves better. Focusing hard on the shooting range, she clocked the 42nd range time in the Sprint and the 40th in the Pursuit. She finished third in both the Sprint and the Pursuit, missing just one shot in unusually strong winds, and now has 1,009 World Cup points compared to 808 for Suvi Minkkinen in second place. The Finn was 11th in the Sprint but out-sprinted Lou Jeanmonnot in the Pursuit to finish second.

Jeanmonnot secured the Sprint Score title, her second of the season after clinching the Individual Score in Kontiolahti.

Minkkinen leads the Pursuit Score standings with 362 points to Jeanmonnot’s 342 in second place. Minkkinen needs to finish ahead of Jeanmonnot — or second if Jeanmonnot wins — to secure her first-ever Discipline Score title.

With the last Mass Start of the season coming in Holmenkollen National Arena, Julia Simon holds a 45-point advantage over Jeanmonnot in the Mass Start Score battle.

Perrot mighty close to the Total Score title

While Sturla Holm Laegreid’s form just keeps getting better — he competed in a league of his own in Otepaa, winning the Sprint, Pursuit and Single Mixed Relay — Eric Perrot had a sub-par week but still managed to finish 12th in the Sprint and 11th in the Pursuit. He added 59 points and now has 1,058 ahead of the Holmenkollen week. Sebastian Samuelsson has 814 points in second place, Johan-Olav Smoerdal Botn 783 in third, and Laegreid 749 in fourth. Perrot needs to finish 14th once in Norway and the Total Score title will officially be his.

Perrot and Samuelsson will have two tight Discipline Score battles in Oslo-Holmenkollen. Looking for a career-first Discipline Score title, the Swede leads the Sprint Score standings with 315 points, while Perrot has 270. In the Pursuit Score, Perrot leads with 337 points, with Samuelsson second on 314.

Norway won the Mixed Relay Score. In the Women’s Nations Cup Score France has 6,517 points in the first place; Sweden is second with 6,512 points. In the Men’s Nations Cup Score Norway is in a commanding lead with 7,028 points; France has 6,598.

Photo: IBU/Dmytro Yevenko, Nordic Focus