The new biathlon season is knocking, and three countries open the door this weekend. In Geilo, Norway's best fight for their World Cup places while the French men and the Italian squad join the fray. In Idre Fjall, Sweden's full national team gets its first on-snow test. And in Bessans, Savoie, seven Frenchwomen battle for just two remaining World Cup tickets, the most dramatic subplot of the opening week.

The French Biathlon Selection Trials: 7 Contenders for 2 Spots

The French Biathlon Selection Trials (Sélections FFS de Bessans) take place in Bessans, Savoie, France, from November 11 to 15, 2026, serving as France’s decisive on-snow qualification event ahead of the 2026/2027 international winter season. Staged on the high-altitude snow-farming loop at the Bessans International Biathlon Stadium, the trials feature three race days—two sprints and one mass start—where each athlete's two best results determine final selection. While the French senior men's squad competes in Geilo, Norway, for its World Cup spots, Bessans is the exclusive battleground for the final two berths on France’s women’s World Cup team, as well as the remaining opening-stage spots for the men's and women's IBU Cup squads.

French women’s team enters the 2026/2027 World Cup opener with a seven-athlete quota for the first two stages (thanks to Paula Botet winning the previous season's IBU Cup Total Score title). Five podium finishers from last winter are already pre-selected: Lou Jeanmonnot, Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Océane Michelon, and Camille Bened.

The following seven contenders are fighting in Bessans for the remaining two World Cup tickets:

Jeanne Richard: The only member of France's senior A-team who was not pre-selected.

Sophie Chauveau: Returning strongly after a summer cycling crash, having finished runner-up twice behind Lou Jeanmonnot at the autumn rollerski trials in Arçon.

Paula Botet: Reigning IBU Cup Total Score champion, who competed at the Loop One Festival in Munich in October and whose title earned France its extra World Cup quota spot.

Gilonne Guigonnat: Experienced World Cup (with a podium in the Mass Start Canmore from the 2023/2024 season) and IBU Cup competitor (nine individual IBU Cup wins) aiming to reclaim a spot on the main circuit.

Amandine Mengin: B-team standout who made her debut in the World Cup in Oslo-Holmenkollen at the end of the 2024/2025 season and scored a podium at the Loop One Festival in Munich this October, is looking to break into the opening World Cup squad for good.

Voldiya Galmace-Paulin: Rising French talent who made her debut in the World Cup in Oslo-Holmenkollen last winter, competing after qualifying via last season's top-15 World Cup or IBU Cup win criteria.

Celia Henaff: IBU Cup contender vying for a main-tour berth after a strong showing in the IBU Cup in the 2025/2026 season.

The Norwegian Biathlon Season Opener

The Norwegian Biathlon Season Opener (Sesongstart skiskyting) takes place in Geilo, Norway, from November 13 to 15, 2026, serving as the primary pre-season qualification event ahead of the 2026/2027 World Cup circuit. Hosted at the Geilo Ski Stadium—which took over hosting duties from traditional venue Sjusjoen—the weekend combines official national team selection trials with high-level international competition, also drawing the French men and the full squad of the Italian team.

Following official training on Friday, the race program features men’s and women’s sprints on Saturday, November 14, followed by split-heat mass starts on Sunday, November 15. For Norwegian athletes, these two race days are decisive for securing the remaining World Cup and IBU Cup roster spots before the international season kicks off in Kontiolahti, Finland, on November 26.

The Swedish Biathlon Season Opener

The Swedish Biathlon Season Opener (Sverigepremiären) takes place in Idre Fjall, Sweden, from November 13 to 15, 2026, serving as the official winter snow kick-off and national selection event ahead of the 2026/2027 World Cup season. Hosted at the snow-sure Idre Fjall Race Arena in northwestern Dalarna, the event brings together Sweden’s full national squad alongside competitive international fields for their first on-snow test. Following official training on Friday, the race program features short individual competitions on Saturday, November 14, and sprint races on Sunday, November 15. For Swedish biathletes, the weekend provides a crucial benchmark for securing World Cup and IBU Cup roster spots before the LaVita World Cup begins in Kontiolahti , Finland on November 26, and the IBU Cup in Idre Fjall, Sweden, that very same day.