Junior Cup Season Overview

Season 2021/2022 brought back the Junior Cup series in full swing, making stops in Martell and Pokljuka. The competitions were closed with the Youth and Junior World Championships in Soldier Hollow, USA, where all the Globes for the past season were awarded. In total five different nations could celebrate topping the overall or competitions’ rankings.

Total Score Globe and Sprint titles in the same hands

In both the men and women series, the winner of the Total Score Globe was also the best at sprints in the season. The 19-year-old Italian talent Sara Scattolo first showed her dominancy in the Junior Cup season 21/22 opener in Martell. On home soil, she collected two wins and a second place, jumping on the podium in all individual competitions in the first trimester. In January, she added another second place in one Sprint in Pokljuka, making a major step towards the discipline globe. Despite still competing in the youth category by age, she overall finished 18 out of 20 competitions during the season in top 10 (including relays).

Aleksandr Kornev scored his first ever podium with a second place in the final competition of the last solar year. He managed to keep his form over the Christmas break and in January he added a victory and another second place, both in sprints, in Pokljuka. Following other great results, he collected both - the men’s IBU Junior Cup total score and sprint titles at the end of the season.

First ever crystal globe for Bulgaria

2021/2022 was a breakthrough season not only for Blagoy Todev, but also for his represented nation, Bulgaria. With multiple World Cup starts, he added onto his experience and even improved his best result with a 40th place in Sprint of Otepaea. Coming straight from the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, where he competed for the first time, the 21-year-old won silver at the Junior World Championships in Soldier Hollow. A month earlier, he had triumphed in the Individual of Junior Open European Championship, securing the Individual Globe – first ever globe of any kind for Bulgaria among juniors.

All other competition globes went to Germany and France. Mareike Braun ended her junior career with an Individual Score title, while Pursuit Globes were awarded to Paul Fontaine and Jeanne Richard.

Germany on top of nations score

With three wins, six second places and another third place in relay competitions, Germany was the most successful nation, collecting both the Junior Women & Junior Men Nations Cup as well as the IBU Junior Cup Relay title, which combines both genders.

Photos: IBU/Reichert + Blagoy Todev/Instagram

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