Biathlon
Biathlon: Two German World Cup winners to miss season opener
November 17, 2025 / Sportschau
Germany will start the 2025/26 Biathlon World Cup in Östersund without World Cup winners Johannes Kühn and Roman Rees after internal trials in Idre Fjäll. Lucas Fratzscher and Simon Kaiser won the men’s selection races, joining Justus Strelow, Philipp Nawrath, Philipp Horn, and Danilo Riethmüller on the team. Women’s selections conclude in Ruhpolding; Franziska Preuß, Vanessa Voigt, Selina Grotian and Julia Tannheimer are pre-qualified, while Janina Hettich-Walz impressed with a sprint podium behind Elvira Öberg and ahead of Hanna Öberg in Idre.
Germany names men’s roster for Östersund World Cup opener without Kühn and Rees
November 17, 2025 / SPORT1
Germany will start the biathlon World Cup season in Östersund without veterans Johannes Kühn and Roman Rees. The DSV selected Justus Strelow, Philipp Nawrath, Lucas Fratzscher, Simon Kaiser, Philipp Horn and Danilo Riethmüller after domestic trials and Idre races, while Kühn, Rees, David Zobel and junior Leonhard Pfund are headed to the IBU Cup. The women’s roster will be finalized after a Ruhpolding qualifier, with Franziska Preuß, Selina Grotian, Vanessa Voigt and Julia Tannheimer already preselected; the season’s peak is the Olympic races in Antholz in February.
Biathlon: Sebastian Samuelsson hampered by wind — throws away the win
November 16, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson was leading the men’s race but missed four shots in the final standing stage after severe wind gusts, dropping to seventh. Martin Ponsiluoma finished fourth and described the windy range as “incredibly tough,” saying he should have dialed his sights more. Germany swept the podium with Lucas Fratzscher winning ahead of David Zobel and Johannes Kühn.
Biathlon: After debut success — the national team’s plan for Linn Gestblom
November 16, 2025 / SVT Sport
Swedish biathlon coach Johannes Lukas outlines a tailored plan for Linn Gestblom after her standout comeback at the Swedish season opener in Idre. Speaking on Vinterstudion, Lukas says the team has a special setup for managing Gestblom’s progression following her impressive return. The piece is a video segment restricted to viewers in Sweden.
Biathlon: Elvira Öberg dominates to win Idre sprint after perfect shooting
November 16, 2025 / SVT Sport
Elvira Öberg delivered a commanding victory in the women’s sprint in Idre, shooting 10/10 and skiing away for her first win of the season. She finished a full minute ahead of Germany’s Janina Hettich‑Walz, with sister Hanna Öberg third at +1:02. Elvira noted it was her first clean sprint since January 2023 and said she started hard and held it, drawing praise from SVT expert Björn Ferry.
Shock call-up: Marit Øygard quit in the summer – now selected for the Biathlon World Cup opener
November 16, 2025 / SVT Sport
Norway’s Marit Øygard, who quit the sport in August to focus on medical studies, has been named to Norway’s team for the World Cup opener in Östersund. After training only recreationally, she impressed at the Norwegian season opener in Geilo (2nd in sprint, 7th in mass start) and now plans to combine elite biathlon with her medical program in Trondheim. The article lists Norway’s full women’s and men’s squads for Östersund.
Biathlete Ella Halvarsson surprised on live TV with Swedish Sports Gala nomination
November 16, 2025 / SVT Sport
Swedish biathlete Ella Halvarsson, 26, was surprised during SVT’s Vinterstudion broadcast with news that she’s nominated for Newcomer of the Year at the Swedish Sports Gala on January 21, 2026. The nomination follows her breakthrough debut season featuring a World Championship silver medal and two World Cup second places. Other nominees in the category are Alba Boström (powerlifting), Engla Nilsson (athletics), and the beach volleyball duo Jacob Hölting Nilsson/Elmer Andersson.
Biathlon: Linn Gestblom’s dream comeback – third in Swedish season opener
November 15, 2025 / SVT Sport
After 635 days away from snow competitions due to serious shoulder problems and surgeries, Sweden’s Linn Gestblom returned and finished third in the Swedish biathlon season opener in Idre. She shot clean in both prone and standing, finishing 40 seconds behind winner Hanna Öberg and six seconds behind Elvira Öberg, and reported no pain in her shoulder. Gestblom will skip the next day’s sprint despite the strong result.
Biathlon: Lisa Vittozzi opens up about a difficult year: “Totally unmotivated”
November 15, 2025 / SVT Sport
Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi, who missed last season with serious back problems, describes how she felt totally unmotivated and unable to perform her job during a long injury layoff. After placing fourth in her comeback race in Idre, she says she still has to manage the issues and tailor training, but is motivated by the dream of a home Olympics in February. She last raced on snow in spring 2024, when she was the overall World Cup winner.
Biathlon scandals: “That’s very close to treason!”
November 15, 2025 / SPORT1
Swedish ex-biathletes Mona Brorsson and Björn Ferry condemned two scandals rocking France’s national biathlon team. Julia Simon admitted stealing and using teammates’ and staff credit cards and received a suspended three‑month sentence and fine, while Jeanne Richard allegedly tampered with teammate Océane Michelon’s rifle before a race. Brorsson called the acts a near-betrayal of the nation and unforgivable within a team, and Ferry questioned how those involved can remain on the squad.
Biathlon: Mona Brorsson calls French team scandal “as close to treason as an athlete can get”
November 15, 2025 / SVT Sport
SVT expert Mona Brorsson condemned reports that France’s Jeanne Richard secretly tampered with teammate Océane Michelon’s rifle sight before a race, allegedly caught by star Justine Braisaz‑Bouchet. Brorsson and fellow expert Björn Ferry questioned how Richard can remain in the team. The segment also noted Julia Simon’s ongoing legal saga and suspension, with the IBU’s Biathlon Integrity Unit reviewing whether to further increase her penalty.
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Norwegian Olympic hope Ida Lien diagnosed with a slipped disc: “Things are still uncertain”
November 14, 2025 / Eurosport Norway
Norwegian biathlete Ida Lien, 28, has been diagnosed with a herniated disc after persistent back trouble this autumn, forcing her to skip this weekend’s season opener in Geilo. She says she is undergoing various treatments in hopes of avoiding surgery and does not yet know when she can race again. Lien, a member of Norway’s fourth‑place relay team at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, wished teammates and rivals good luck while she recovers.