Adjustments
Jeanmonnot admitted that shooting clean took some early adjustments. “I did some clicks at the first prone shooting because I thought the wind changed from zeroing. My first shooting was slower, even slower than usual.”
Yellow Bib and Ruhpolding resident Franziska Preuss reasserted herself with a one-penalty second place finish, her first home stadium podium in six years, 35.7 seconds back. “It feels really good (to be on the podium at home). I am proud of myself that I managed it on the shooting range today, because it is not so easy when you know everyone is looking at you!”
Switzerland’s Amy Baserga also shot clean, finishing in a career-best third place, the Swiss Team’s first podium of the season. She admitted that, “It is a big surprise for me; really emotional. This morning, I was a little bit tired, but focused on this race. My goal was to shoot clean; I did it and it is really great.”
Jeanmonnot’s teammate Oceane Michelon, with one penalty tied her career-best from last week in fourth place, 1:17.3 back. Today’s result moved Michelon to the top of the Blue Bib (under 23) standings ahead of teammate Jeanne Richard. Sweden’s Johanna Skottheim shot clean in fifth place, 1:24.8 back, equaling her second-best career result after spending the last two seasons and part of this season in the IBU Cup. Austrian Anna Gandler’s sixth place, with one penalty, 1:27.2 back was her best result of the season, coming a day after boyfriend Emilien Claude claimed his first-ever podium.
Clear, cool and calm conditions dominated for the first women’s 15 km of the season, setting up a day when perfect or near-perfect shooting would be keys to the podium. Preuss, starting 58th cleaned the first prone stage, with Jeanmonnot doing the same but 11 seconds behind the German.
Jeanmonnot, skiing well, came into her own in the first standing stage, cleaning with ease and taking over the lead. Preuss picked up a penalty, falling 44 seconds back, while Baserga moved from 18th to after the first prone to fifth.
The eventual winner extended her lead to 27 seconds in the second prone stage, as Preuss skied herself back into contention in fourth, just behind Baserga.
When Jeanmonnot closed her final target in the last standing, the competition was effectively over. Baserga matched, but Preuss coming to the range minutes later mowed down her targets, moving ahead of the 2021 IBU Junior Sprint/Pursuit World Champion by 10 seconds. The leading trio held their positions at the finish, setting the podium.
Photos: IBU Svoboda, Nordic Focus