France’s Justine Braisaz-Bouchet never led at any point in this evening’s Nove Mesto Women’s 12.5 km Short Individual; at one point trailing teammate Lou Jeanmonnot by 46 seconds. With a clean final standing stage and a hard-fought last loop, she finally prevailed for a 35.50.3 victory, 1.4 seconds faster than runner-up Jeanmonnot. Tonight’s one-penalty victory was Braisaz-Bouchet’s first win and podium of the season and her first in a Short Individual, and like teammate Eric Perrot now has a victory in every discipline.

“Good battle with Lou”

Braisaz-Bouchet was quite proud of her first win of the season. “I am really pleased with the victory, but it is also good to go forward with this shoot; 19-out-of 20 is really good. It was a good battle with Lou as well. It means a lot to win in the individual because Lou laughed yesterday when she asked if I ever got a World Cup medal in the individual. I answered that my first was in the individual (in Oestersund) and she laughed for two minutes. She did not trust me! The first thing she said to me (after the race) ‘I should not have laughed about that.’”

“Stay patient”

Today’s win was her first like four years ago. She then went on to win Olympic Mass Start Gold “That is true. I stay patient until the beginning of the season. Now I am really pleased and sharing the podium with Lou and Franziska as well is a good podium.”

Second place Jeanmonnot, after leading much of the competition was in the top spot after the last standing stage, but was unable to hold her slim margin over the last 2.5 km. Germany’s Franziska Preuss, with two penalties finished in third, 1:02.2 back, her first podium of the season.

Sweden’s Anna Magnusson with two penalties finished fourth, 1:06.8 back. Switzerland’s Lena Haecki-Gross, with one penalty finished in a season-best fifth place, 1:15.7 back. Austria’s Tamara Steiner shot clean for a career-best sixth place1:27 back, improving on her previous best 13th place from two years ago also at Nove Mesto.

Braisaz-Bouchet/Jeanmonnot Duel

This evening was the same as Thursday, cold with a bit of wind and again huge crowds. From the first prone stage onwards, the competition was a duel between Braisaz-Bouchet and Jeanmonnot. Both cautiously and clean in the first prone, separated by six seconds. Lisa Vittozzi shot fastest of all but fell out of contention after that.

Five perfect shots in the first standing put the Yellow Bib on top, only for Braisaz-Bouchet to clean 3 seconds faster. Preuss matched, taking an 8-second lead.

Tied at 11.6 km

Jeanmonnot’s conservative shooting netted a clean second prone and the lead. Braisaz-Bouchet missed once, falling 46 seconds in arrears. Preuss missed once but moved to second, 40 seconds back.

The Yellow Bib’s penalty dented her lead as Braisaz-Bouchet cleaned, leaving just a second behind. At 11.6 km, the teammates were tied, but Braisaz-Bouchet continued pushing, claiming the win.

Photos: IBU/Jaroslav Svoboda, Yevenko, Nordic Focus