#1 Sturla Holm Laegreid

Defending Yellow Bib Laegreid is the obvious choice. After three runner-up finishes in the Total Score, he won the big Crystal Globe and three discipline titles last season. The Norwegian’s gaudy 93% shooting makes him a player, even on days when he is slightly off on the tracks. Laegreid is far from satisfied, “I have many more years left and want to see how good I can become each year with less pressure and more motivation to just improve.” Those words should make any rival take note.

At the same time, he relishes being the man everyone is chasing. “I want to be the guy everyone wants to beat. It is more fun like that…If you are not prepared to carry that, then you are not prepared to keep it.”

#2 Eric Perrot

Perrot is the number 1 challenger to Laegreid. The 24-year-old French star dominated the summer competitions with victories at Blink, Dresden, and Loop One. Perrot has all the tools: speed on the tracks, solid shooting, and laser-sharp focus. After outsprinting Laegreid in the Blink Super Sprint, he admitted, “When he came back, I had to do my best to not be second after leading the whole race. It was a great fight and a great lesson: to run for the win.”

Feeling his shooting is much improved (from 90% last season), Perrot wants the big Crystal Globe. “Last season, I was not good enough to take the overall. It is realistic to be looking towards taking the first position. That has been my dream, my big goal. I feel I can touch it this winter.”

#5 Quentin Fillon Maillet

Fillon Maillet, after a couple of down seasons by his high standards, roared back to 5th in the Total Score, adding an Oberhof Sprint win and four IBU World Championships medals to his trophy case. The Oberhof win put the 2022 Total Score titlist back on track. “It was especially hard the last two seasons and also this season with the shooting. I thought a lot about what I must do to go back on the podium, to a win. It is finally back.” The defending Olympic Sprint and Individual Champion is the veteran to watch. After a summer of sparring with Perrot regularly, Fillon Maillet should be ready for any challenge.

Wild Card: Isak Leknes Frey

Frey could upset all the predictions. The 22-year-old dominated the IBU Cup last season, taking the Total Score as well as the Sprint, Pursuit and Individual Scores. He closed the season with 4th, 5th and 9th at the Oslo World Cup, proving his readiness for “prime time.” Training with the Norwegian A team this summer paid off, battling Perrot fearlessly for the Loop One Super Sprint win, despite three penalties to Perrot’s one. If his rivals focus too much on each other, they may find themselves frequently looking at Frey’s back!