Biathlon Retirement Wave Continues to Grow!

Biathlon Retirement Wave Continues to Grow!

In the French biathlon federation, within a few days, three athletes have announced their retirement from their careers.

Two French biathletes have announced their retirement.

Currently, the French biathlon federation is experiencing a retirement wave. Recently, two more athletes have announced that they are ending their careers. Within days, the federation has to say goodbye to three athletes.

Last week, Pauline Machut declared that she was quitting as a biathlete. Now Paul Fontain and Jérémie Bouchex-Bellomié have followed suit.

Fontain, now 25 years old, was regularly active in the IBU Cup in recent years and explained in an interview with the Nordic Magazine that he no longer believes that his performances will be enough to make it onto the French national team.

Although he aimed to prove himself through his IBU Cup appearances at the start of the past season, he was unable to do so. He quickly realized that he could not keep up with his competitors.

"This hit me hard, and I decided that this would be the last season of my career," he stated. Fontain feels that he is not in the physical condition he would like to be in.

"I grew up in the same generation as Eric Perrot, Oscar Lombardot or Emilien Claude. However, my performances are far from that level. It is certainly time for a new chapter and new challenges. I am now 25 and cannot live off of appearances in the French Cup. That played a significant role in my decision," he openly discussed his reasons.

Summary of the Retirements

• Pauline Machut announced her retirement last week.
• Paul Fontain feels he cannot match his competitors’ level and decided his career in biathlon would end.
• Jérémie Bouchez-Bellomié has also decided to focus completely on his studies instead of pursuing a professional sports career.

Another biathlete announces retirement.

FONTAN: "I am of the same generation as Eric Perrot and others, but I realized that I cannot compete at their level anymore. This is certainly the time to seek new challenges."

Further Updates

Keep up with the latest biathlon news on SPORT1's Biathlon World Cup Page.

For more detailed updates, please refer to the results and standings sections on SPORT1.