Hanna Oeberg, after going 10-for-10- on the range, left the standing 3.9 seconds behind local favourite Lou Jeanmonnot. The Swedish veteran then put on the afterburners, speeding through the last loop faster than her French rival, taking a 19:24.9 victory in this afternoon's Annecy Le Grand Bornand Women's 7.5 km Sprint. Hanna’s win was her first since taking the Oslo Mass Start in March of 2023 and her first Sprint victory in over three years.

“Better biathlete than the last couple of years”

Hanna admitted she was quite emotional after finally putting together a complete competition. “it feels great. I was a little bit emotional at the finish. I feel like I am a better biathlete this year than I’ve been the last couple of years. In the races so far. I have not been able to put all the things together in one race. The clock starts on zero; the pursuit in Oestersund was really good but I was two minutes behind. To be able to do it today means a lot. Even though you feel like you improved, you cannot say that until you show it in a real competition. It means a lot to be able to do this today.”

“So happy to see number 1 in front of my name”

Her last loop stunned and quieted the French audience who though Jeanmonnot had the victory in hand. “The last loop was a hard fight. I got all the times and thought I did not take anything on her. It was just in the very end that I made some seconds. I was so happy to see the number 1 in front of my name at the finish line. Maybe I have to apologize for ruining the French party here today. If there was any reaction form the French audience maybe it was this to quiet them!”

Jeanmonnot shot clean in second place, finishing 3.3 second back. Italy’s Dorothea Wierer, also perfect, completed the podium, 11.4 seconds back.

All of the women in the top six shot clean, rounded out by Wierer’s teammate Lisa Vittozzi in fourth, 14.9 seconds back, Slovakia’s Paulina Batovska-Fialkova in fifth, 16.2 seconds back, and Finland’s Suvi Minkkinen sixth, 27 seconds back.

Yellow Bib Anna Magnusson, despite finishing 38th with two penalties, 1:23.4 back retained the to spot in the Total Score with 318 points to Jeanmonnot’s 317 points.

Lou and Hanna

The women had a warm 6-degree, afternoon for the first competition in France. In prone, Jeanmonnot cleaned for the lead until Hanna upped her by 1.7 seconds. Wierer matched but was 5.4 seconds back.

Jeanmonnot, hoping for the win, cleaned standing quickly, taking a 9-second lead over the field. Hanna matched, 3.9 seconds slower, with Wierer a couple of seconds faster.

Powerful Last Loop

Jeanmonnot extended her lead in the last loop, looking like the victor, but Hanna powered through the last loop, crossing the finish line with an emphatic punch, 3 seconds faster for the victory. Wierer held on for third.

Photos: IBU/Mobuchon, Manzoni, Nordic Focus