The winter season may still be just around the corner, but the first battles for national honours are already underway. Throughout September, biathletes will line up across Europe for their national roller-ski championships. This article follows the action from a selection of national events taking place along the road to winter.

Four Winners Emerge from the Swiss Championships

Lenzerheide hosted the Swiss roller-ski championships on 5–6 September, with the Elite field competing in a Sprint and a Short Individual. The weekend produced four different winners: Aita Gasparin and Dajan Danuser took the Sprint titles on Saturday, while Coralie Langel and Sebastian Stalder came out on top in Sunday’s Short Individual.

Second in the Sprint went to Lea Meier and Joscha Burkhalter, while Langel and Niklas Hartweg rounded out Saturday’s podiums in third. Gasparin added a second place in Sunday’s Short Individual, finishing ahead of Lara Berwert, while Danseur and Remo Burch completed the men’s podium.

More National Championships to Come

The national championship action continues throughout September, with the following events still to come:

• 12–13 September — Kontiolahti, Finland

• 18–20 September — Lygna, Norway

• 19–20 September — La Féclaz, France

• 19–20 September — Osrblie, Slovakia

• 19–20 September — Cheile Grădiștei, Romania

• 26–27 September — Letohrad, Czechia

• 26–27 September — Duszniki-Zdrój, Poland

Photos: Manzoni/IBU