Lou Jeanmonnot shrugged off the relentless pressure she used to feel in Annecy–Le Grand-Bornand and added a win and two second-place finishes to her already impressive stats. Maren Kirkeeide impressed once again. Eric Perrot used a weak week of Sturla Holm Laegreid to make himself more comfortable atop the Power Rankings.

Jeanmonnot in a league of her own

Jeanmonnot won the Pursuit and narrowly missed victory in both the Sprint (3.3 seconds behind Hanna Oeberg) and the Mass Start (0.3 seconds behind Kirkeeide). Kirkeeide’s Mass Start win lifted her to third place in the rankings, while Hanna Oeberg’s Sprint victory moved her up to sixth, though her performances remained volatile. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet enjoyed a strong week and, supported by her stellar statistics from high-altitude competitions and recent World Championships, climbed to second place as her shooting form stabilised. Franziska Preuss mounted a comeback of sorts, competing individually for the first time this season and finishing sixth in the Mass Start. If her health holds over the Christmas period, she should close the gap to Jeanmonnot in Trimester 2. Anna Magnusson’s form dipped, and she only just retained her place in the top 10.

Perrot still top, but Botn controls the World Cup

Johan-Olav Botn delivered another outstanding week in France, firmly establishing himself as the athlete of Trimester 1. Enjoying his first start to the season in World Cup and therefore lacking long-term comparative data, he remains something of a known unknown. Eric Perrot was solid enough to maintain his position at the top, as Sturla Holm Laegreid struggled while hampered by a light cold. Tommaso Giacomel, now second, and Sebastian Samuelsson, now fifth, powered on all cylinders but paid the price for too many missed shots. Emilien Jacquelin continued ‘va banque’ approach — this time with great success — collecting two podiums. After a season full of doubts in 2024/2025, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen appears to have rediscovered his mojo and once again looks like a regular podium contender — and a potential Olympic medal threat.