In front of over 10,000 enthusiastic spectators, French biathlete Lou Jeanmonnot secured her 15th World Cup triumph. Thanks to a clean performance, she finished 7.2 seconds ahead of Germany's Selina Grotian. Third place went to the overall World Cup leader Franziska Preuss. Local hero Dorothea Wierer narrowly missed the podium, finishing a strong fourth.
During the opening of this year's World Cup stage, the biathletes once again delivered impressive performances at the Antholz Südtirol Arena - with Lou Jeanmonnot leading the way. Currently ranked second in the overall standings, the 26-year-old Frenchwoman aimed to make a statement in the South Tyrolean biathlon stronghold—and she succeeded. From the outset, she displayed a fantastic performance, shooting cleanly at the range and dominating on the track. This is the 15th World Cup victory for Jeanmonnot, her first in Antholz.
Jeanmonnot's strongest opponent today was Selina Grotian. The 20-year-old German, who had already won the mass start in Annecy this season and started with bib number 64, crossed the finish line just 7.2 seconds behind in second place. German fans in Antholz had even more reason to celebrate, as the podium was rounded out by another German athlete, Franziska Preuss. The World Cup leader finished 16.7 seconds behind Jeanmonnot. All three athletes shot cleanly at the range.
Wierer narrowly misses the podium
That perfection was necessary because otherwise, Dorothea Wierer’s first podium finish of the season might have become a reality today. The 34-year-old from Rasen delivered a very strong performance at her home World Cup but missed one shot in the standing stage. That miss cost Wierer the medal, as the South Tyrolean icon, like in Ruhpolding, had to settle for fourth place, finishing 28 seconds back. Nevertheless, Wierer’s form continues to improve. The two other local athletes, Hannah Auchentaller and Rebecca Passler, finished 30th and 51st, respectively, after incurring one and three shooting mistakes.
The World Cup schedule will continue on Friday at the Südtirol Arena with the men's sprint race. The start is also scheduled for 2:30 pm.
Biathlon World Cup Antholz (ITA):
Women’s Sprint 7.5 km
1. Lou Jeanmonnot (FRA) 21:09.5 minutes (0 misses)
2. Selina Grotian (GER) +7.2 (0)
3. Franziska Preuss (GER) +16.7 (0)
4. Dorothea Wierer (ITA) +28.0 (1)
5. Julia Simon (FRA) +38.0 (1)
6. Jeanne Richard (FRA) +40.9 (0)
7. Oceane Michelon (FRA) +47.5 (1)
8. Amy Baserga (SUI) +48.1 (0)
9. Tereza Vobornikova (CZE) +49.0 (0)
10. Yuliia Dzhima (UKR) +51.2 (0)
11. Hanna Öberg (SWE) +57.5 (1)
12. Maren Kirkeeide (NOR) +57.7 (1)
13. Aita Gasparin (SUI) +57.9 (0)
14. Ragnhild Femsteinevik (NOR) +1:00.4 (1)
15. Kamila Zuk (POL) +1:00.7 (0)
16. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (FRA) +1:05.4 (2)
20. Martina Trabucchi (ITA) +1:24.5 (0)
21. Michela Carrara (ITA) +1:26.8 (2)
30. Hannah Auchentaller (ITA) +1:43.4 (1)
46. Samuela Comola (ITA) +2:04.9 (2)
51. Rebecca Passler (ITA) +2:10.8 (3)