The French biathletes stood out on Saturday, December 4 in Ostersund, Sweden, during the pursuit (10 kilometers, two shots lying down, two shots standing). This is the second round of the Biathlon World Cup.
At the end of a thrilling race, where six skiers could win in the attack on the last lap, it was the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roiseland who won ahead of the French Anaïs Bescond and Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet. As is often the case in biathlon, it is in shooting that the difference is made. Only two biathletes achieved a 20/20 shooting: Anaïs Bescond and the Austrian Lisa Theresa Hauser, who finished at the foot of the podium, while Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet missed a single target.
Anaïs Bescond, Olympic champion in the mixed relay, had not achieved a podium in the World Cup since March 2020. At 34, the Normande is back in shape at the right time, with the approach of the Beijing Games, which will start on the 4th February. “I had good skis and good legs today, she declared on arrival at the microphone of La Chaîne L’Equipe. It’s a thankless sport, satisfactions are rare, but there is always so much emotion when you step on the podium. ”
Starting with bib 14 (53 seconds behind Hauser’s bib 1) after Thursday’s sprint, Anaïs Bescond achieved fifth time on skis, behind sisters Elvira and Hanna Oeberg. Long at the head of the race and supported by their public, the two Swedes missed the podium for shooting faults in the final.
Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet won a second podium this season after her second place in the sprint obtained last weekend. “I started strong and paid off a bit at the end. In skiing, I still miss a bit, but I am satisfied with my shooting performance. Only one bullet escapes me! “, summed up the Iséroise. In the World Cup standings, she is fifth. Lisa Theresa Hauser leads ahead of Marte Olsbu Roiseland.