Talent overflow, tough decisions

On the surface, it looks like an easy situation to handle: Norwegian men and French women have such abundance and depth of talent that their coaches can pick from 10, perhaps even more, world-class athletes and be reasonably sure that any of them could finish on the podium. But then, they can only field six athletes (or seven in Trimester 1), which makes decisions hard and can leave athletes unhappy.

The Norwegian men opened the 2024/2025 season in Kontiolahti, Finland, with JT Boe, Tarjei Boe, Sturla Holm Laegreid, Vettle Sjaastad Christiansen, Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, Endre Stroemsheim, and Vebjoern Soerum starting their winter-long quest to collect as many podiums and points as possible and survive the ferocious internal battle to stay in the World Cup team.

A throwback to the Total Score standings at the end of 2023/2024 tells us how formidable the squad in Kontiolahti was: JT won, Tarjei was second, Dale-Skjevdal third, Laegreid fourth, Christiansen fifth, Stroemsheim seventh, Soerum 26th (despite spending half of the season in the IBU Cup).

“It is sweet and bitter at the same time for the coaches and the management,” explains Per Arne Botnan, Norway’s Team Manager. “The World Cup and the IBU Cup teams are extremely competitive - we are talking about 12 to 13 athletes who can finish on the podium on any given day. It is very difficult to qualify for the World Cup team, but when you confirm your status, you have many chances to stay there. Above all - with winning.”

IBU Cup squad: aiming higher, protecting the downside

Simultaneously, the Norwegian men in their IBU Cup team commenced their season in Idrefjall, Sweden, with perhaps an even more complex task: to dominate the internal fight—and thus the IBU Cup Total Score standings—while keeping one eye on the World Cup team to see who will wobble, and offer a tiny window of opportunity for the best of them. They get one World Cup week to make an impact.

“The World Cup and the IBU Cup coaching teams convene every Monday to asses the form in both squads. We get an overview of who is underperforming in the World Cup and who is ready to step up from the IBU Cups. Winning is not the only criterion: skiing times and shooting accuracy in the IBU Cup must be on the World Cup level. There are no written criteria on what qualifies an athlete for the World Cup. We rely on the results, data, and coaches’ expertise.”

To make task even tougher for the Norwegian IBU Cup athletes: there are dozens of athletes competing in the Norwegian Cup, preying on the spots in the IBU Cup, desperate to earn their shot at glory.

“To rules of qualifying for the IBU Cup from the Norwegian Cup are written. The best six athletes from the Norwegian Cup compete in the IBU Cup.”

The Norwegian men’s sporting reality is tough

In Trimester 1 of 2023/2024, Johan Olav Botn skied out of this world in the IBU Cup. The lead in the IBU Cup Total Score earned him the spot in the World Cup in Oberhof. The criteria to stay in the World Cup team? Achieve back-to-back Sprint-Pursuit podium or be sent back to the IBU Cup.

Botn proved his skiing abilities, clocking the fastest Oberhof Sprint course time - but missing four shots and, stressed to the boot, skiing five penalty loops. He re-joined the IBU Cup team and got another chance in the final two World Cup weeks in the US and Canada, collecting 3rd, 10th, 7th, and 5th place. Surely enough to start the 2024/2025 season in the World Cup? No! Botn, again, kicked off the winter in the IBU Cup, but it was Martin Uldal who was in the Total Score lead after the first two weeks and was called to Hochfilzen to replace Dale-Skjevdal - the weakest link in Kontiolahti.

"The decisions might not always feel fair to concerned athletes," admits Botnan. "But we try to make the decisions as merit-related as possible."

Uldal made the most of his chance, finishing seventh in the Sprint and fifth in the Pursuit in Austria before claiming victory in the Sprint in Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand, securing his place in the World Cup team. His rise meant Tarjei Boe sat out the Sprint and Pursuit in France but rebounded by winning the Mass Start to salvage his season. Following IBU rules, when Norway had to cut one athlete for Trimester 2, a winless Christiansen was sent home as the sixth-best Norwegian in the Total Score. Stroemsheim was behind him, but the win in the season-opening Short Individual kept him in the World Cup.

“The competition is stressful for the athletes. No one has the luxury to prepare for the World Championships or the Olympic Winter Games in peace. But that makes them ready to deliver their best when asked,” concludes Botnan.

It is almost as competitive in the French women team

The French women opened the 2024/2025 season in Kontiolahti, Finland, with Lou Jeanmonnot, Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Sophie Chauveau, Gillone Guigonnat, Jeanne Richard and Oceane Michelon.

Simon is a Total Score winner from the 2022/2023 season, Jeanmonnot finished second last winter, Braisaz-Bouchet is the Olympic gold medalist, Richard made one of the best World Cup debuts in Oberhof last winter, Michelon won the IBU Cup Total Score in 2023/2024, Chauveau and Guigonnat both scored their career-first World Cup podiums last season.

French women IBU Cup team opened the 2024/2025 season with Chloe Chevalier, who was the best-performing athlete in the summer, Paula Botet, healthy after a season of leg struggles, Camille Bened, another ex world-class junior and an outstanding talent Voldiya Galmace Paulin. Guigonnat was the first to drop from the World Cup to the IBU Cup. Despite a second place in the Sprint in Hochfilzen Chauveau had to give spot to the IBU Cup Total Score leader Botet - who won straightaway in the Oberhof Sprint. Chevalier realised that the path to the World Cup suddenly looks very (too) steep - and quit biathlon in January 2025.

French junior women are stepping up fast

In the meantime, Amandine Mengin got a chance in the IBU Cup and won two races in her debut in Arber - meaning that she and Galmace Paulin can give a run for their money to any World Cup athlete but perhaps Jeanmonnot.

“The past several years, we have built an exciting series of domestic youth competitions in France. The amount of young biathletes is incredible. Our women's team in the World Cup and IBU Cup are very competitive, with one spot in the World Cup open. Before we give a chance to an IBU Cup athlete, we consider many factors: wins, podiums, ski speed, shooting accuracy, and coaching reports. Botet got her chance for consistent performance in the IBU Cup in Trimester 1. But her Oberhof Sprint win doesn’t guarantee her a place at the World Championships in Lenzerheide. Chauveau can still get in,” explains Cyril Burdet, Head Coach Women France.

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