Biathlon
Biathlon: Hanna Öberg’s missed shots cost her the pursuit win
December 20, 2025 / SVT Sport
Hanna Öberg started first in the World Cup pursuit at Le Grand-Bornand after winning the sprint, but two misses in the third shooting and another in the fourth dropped her to seventh. France’s Lou Jeanmonnot won ahead of Suvi Minkkinen and Dorothea Wierer, and Jeanmonnot also took over the overall World Cup lead from Sweden’s Anna Magnusson. Shooting coach Jean‑Marc Chabloz criticized Öberg’s third bout, while Öberg noted one fewer miss likely would have secured a podium.
Pursuit in Annecy: Botn wins again as Germany laments shooting woes
December 20, 2025 / Sportschau
Norway’s Johan‑Olav Botn claimed the men’s pursuit victory in Annecy/Le Grand‑Bornand to extend his overall World Cup lead, sealing it with a composed final shooting. Emilien Jacquelin finished second and Johannes Dale‑Skjevdal third after two last‑range misses, while Germany’s Philipp Nawrath was 10th and Justus Strelow slipped to 23rd with two final‑stage errors. Warm, soft snow conditions favored good ski setups for Germany, but excessive shooting mistakes remained the team’s main issue.
Biathlete Johannes Dale‑Skjevdal calls for better support for fathers in elite sport
December 20, 2025 / NRK Sport
Norwegian biathlete Johannes Dale‑Skjevdal, a new father, says the 250 travel days in an Olympic season make it hard to balance family life and top‑level sport, and he is urging clearer frameworks to allow athletes to have their families join periodically. The federation has begun accommodating him, such as providing a larger room during the season opener in Geilo, and national team coach Per Arne Botnan says they will seek solutions, citing past successful adjustments for Liv Grete Skjelbreid. Dale‑Skjevdal recently took his first World Cup podium of the season in France and hopes his family can be with him for a period ahead of the 2026 Olympics.
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Johan‑Olav Botn dominates pursuit in Annecy, underlining Olympic form for Milano‑Cortina 2026
December 20, 2025 / Eurosport Norway
Norway’s Johan‑Olav Botn won the men’s pursuit in Annecy–Le Grand‑Bornand with four clean shootings, taking his third individual World Cup victory of the season and consolidating the overall lead. Émilien Jacquelin finished second with Johannes Dale‑Skjevdal third, while several other Norwegians placed inside the top 10. Pundits hailed Botn as a leading medal favorite for all Olympic events at Milano‑Cortina 2026.
Frustrated Swedish star on Norway’s sprint sweep: “A crisis”
December 19, 2025 / NRK Sport
Norway dominated the men’s biathlon sprint in Le Grand-Bornand, taking four of the top five places, with Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen winning and Johannes Dale‑Skjevdal second. Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson called the result a “crisis,” prompting a sharp rebuttal from Norway’s Johan‑Olav Botn. Sjåstad Christiansen, who said the win effectively secured his Olympic berth, described the effort as brutally hard amid recent illness issues on the Norwegian team.
Biathlon: Samuelsson sixth after huge skiing in Annecy sprint
December 19, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sebastian Samuelsson led into the final shooting of the men’s 10 km sprint in Annecy but two misses in standing dropped him to sixth, 8.8 seconds behind winner Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, who shot clean. Martin Ponsiluoma also skied strongly but with two misses finished seventh at +12.2. All Swedish men, including Jesper Nelin, Henning Sjökvist, Oscar Andersson and Malte Stefansson, qualified for the pursuit; Andersson and Sjökvist scored their first World Cup points.
Biathlon: Exhausted Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen after sprint win in Annecy
December 19, 2025 / SVT Sport
Norway’s Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen shot clean and won the men’s 10 km sprint in Annecy by 3.5 seconds over teammate Johannes Dale‑Skjevdal. In heavy, slow conditions, Christiansen said he dug deeper than he has in years and was visibly spent at the finish. Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson placed sixth, 8.8 seconds back with two misses, and Christiansen noted the victory is crucial in Norway’s fierce selection battle ahead of the 2026 Olympics.
Biathlon: Swedish‑Norwegian Philip Lindkvist Flötten reaches his first IBU Cup podium
December 19, 2025 / SVT Sport
Nineteen‑year‑old Philip Lindkvist Flötten, born and raised in Norway but competing for Sweden this season, claimed his first IBU Cup podium with third place in the men’s sprint in Lenzerheide. He shot a perfect 10/10, left the range sixth after prone, cleaned standing and finished 17 seconds behind winner Sverre Dahlen Aspenes, with the second‑fastest last lap. In the women’s sprint, Johanna Skottheim placed fifth with one miss in each shooting stage.
Wierer keeps rolling: third in Le Grand-Bornand sprint, Vittozzi fourth
December 18, 2025 / La Gazzetta dello Sport
Dorothea Wierer finished third and teammate Lisa Vittozzi fourth in the women’s sprint at the Biathlon World Cup stop in Le Grand-Bornand, France. Sweden’s Hanna Öberg won ahead of home favorite Lou Jeanmonnot as 10,000 fans cheered. The Italians impressed especially on the range, with standout shooting times and clean prone/standing series setting them up well for Saturday’s pursuit.
Like a phoenix: Vittozzi returns to winning after a year out
December 15, 2025 / La Gazzetta dello Sport (Video Gazzetta)
Italian biathlete Lisa Vittozzi produced a dramatic comeback to win the pursuit at the Biathlon World Cup round in Hochfilzen. Recovering from 14th on the start list, Vittozzi overcame a serious back injury that forced her out last season and crossed the finish line first in a result loaded with personal significance.
Biathlon: Linn Gestblom suffered heart palpitations – skipped interviews after the pursuit
December 14, 2025 / SVT Sport
Sweden’s Linn Gestblom experienced heart palpitations after finishing 26th in the women’s biathlon pursuit and did not pass through the mixed zone for media interviews. SVT’s reporter said she needed rest, and the Swedish team suggests she may skip next week’s World Cup in Annecy–Le Grand-Bornand. Expert Björn Ferry called the situation worrying; Gestblom had three misses in the final standing shooting after starting with three clean stages.
Biathlon: Norwegian star explains his unusual finish-line gesture: “A bull”
December 14, 2025 / SVT Sport
Norway won the men’s biathlon relay in Austria by a large margin, and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen had time to make an unusual “bull” gesture as he skied to the finish. In a short post‑race interview, the 33‑year‑old explained the meaning behind the move while Norway celebrated a dominant victory. Sweden secured a podium in the same relay.