Oleksandra Merkushyna and Philip Lindkvist-Floetten have made a name for themselves at the IBU Junior World Championships on the Arber. They leave the Bavarian Forest as the most successful athletes of the championships. In doing so, they have earned their place at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in Oslo. There’s a lot of excitement in the air.

Oleksandra Merkushyna – a season to remember

Oleksandra Merkushyna is no stranger to the World Cup. She made her debut in biathlon’s top-tier series back in 2022. Yet, as a junior athlete, it still feels special to her every time. “I am glad to be back on the World Cup once again this season. According to my age, my main goal is to gain as much experience as I can at the World Cup level. I got plenty confidence from this season, so I need to use it properly during my preparation for the next season”, says the 21-year-old.

In February, she made her debut as an Olympic athlete at the Winter Games in Antholz and achieved 17th place in the individual, her best result to date. “It was definitely a very special season for me. The start of the season was far from what I wanted and then I had virus, I thought this season was not gonna work for me, but then things got better and, in the end, I got my Olympic spot. Then after Olympic I came to Arber, I saw so many familiar faces from Antholz there. That was fun to see how many athletes came from Olympic Games to Junior World Championship, and I think it is cool.” With three medals – gold in the mass start 60, silver in the individual and bronze in the relay – Merkushyna is taking home the full set of medals.

Merkushyna hadn’t expected to qualify for Oslo. She’d planned to visit her friends in Lillehammer after the Junior World Championships, extend her skiing season on snow and cheer on her sister at the World Cup races. Now she’s at the start line in Oslo herself and can bring her successful season to a fitting close.

Philip Lindkvist-Floetten – magical moments at the shooting range

For Philip Lindkvist-Floetten, the individual at the Arber during the Junior World Championships was something he is unlikely to forget in a hurry. “It was insanely cool to shoot 20 out of 20 in the individual and become junior world champion. When I fired that 20th shot, it felt magical. I had never shot better than 17 on an individual race before, so this was a perfectly executed performance in both pacing and shooting.“ He hadn’t expected such success, as he felt heavy and tired after the European Championships in Sjusjoen. For this reason, he had told his family that there was no point in coming to support him at the individual on the Arber, so his mother and sister didn’t arrive until the second week of the championships. It was still worth their while, though, as he won silver in the sprint and came third in the mass start 60.

The 19-year-old is really looking forward to his first World Cup race. “I’m incredibly excited to race the World Cup in Holmenkollen. It will be insanely cool to test myself at the highest level with a big crowd present. My goals in Holmenkollen are to try to score some points and at least try to qualify for the pursuit, and most importantly, enjoy the experience.“ His family will be cheering him on enthusiastically there too.

Photos: IBU I Deubert