Biathlon World Championships: Crushing Dominance! A Change of Guard?

Crushing Dominance! Change of Guard in Biathlon?

The French biathletes are absolutely dominating at this year’s World Championships. With five gold medals in eight races and already having reached the podium ten times, they have emerged as the top favorites in every competition over the weekend. Women’s coach Jean‑Paul Giachino humorously remarked, "They will end up hating us," directed at competitors from other nations. In these championship days, the French are essentially the team that the Norwegians once were.

One could even speak of a change of guard, especially as Johannes Thingnes Bø – the only Scandinavian still capable of serious challenges at the highest level – is set to retire at the end of the season. Even before the championships began, French sporting director Stéphane Bouthiaux boldly declared that winning all the gold medals in the four relay events was the goal.

While the women’s team have long been dominant, the men surprisingly managed to beat the seemingly invincible Norwegians in all four World Cup relay competitions. The key to French success lies in a vast pool of young talent, with many promising athletes aspiring to emulate former stars like Martin Fourcade and Raphael Poirée. Bouthiaux explained, "The more good athletes you have at the grassroots level, the greater the chance that some will reach the top level. Right now, we are as strong as the Norwegians." The Norwegians, after a rather underwhelming championship so far, are expected to launch a final comeback – this time, with the Bö brothers making their last appearance together.