Wierer keeps rolling: third in Le Grand-Bornand sprint, Vittozzi fourth

Dorothea Wierer continued her excellent early‑season form with a podium in the women’s sprint at the Biathlon World Cup in Le Grand‑Bornand (France). In front of nearly 10,000 spectators, Wierer placed third, just 11.4 seconds behind winner Hanna Öberg of Sweden, while Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi finished fourth at +14.9. Local hero Lou Jeanmonnot took second, thrilling the French crowd after a composed, error‑free performance.

The Italian duo were notably sharp on the range. Vittozzi recorded a blistering 39.3 seconds total for her two shooting stages (19.8 prone, 19.4 standing). Wierer was even quicker than Vittozzi in standing at 19.2. Another Italian, Rebecca Passler, led the prone split with a remarkable 18.2 and, with only one miss in standing, finished 24th.

Öberg overturned Jeanmonnot’s late advantage in the closing meters, ultimately winning by 3.3 seconds after the French biathlete had been ahead with 600 meters to go. The men race on Friday, and the women return Saturday for the pursuit, where the Italian athletes are well‑positioned by their sprint results.