After two complicated seasons, the Italian Dorothea Wierer returned to success by winning the individual in Östersund, ahead of two biathletes who won their first World Cup podium: the Finnish Sonja Leinamo and the French Camille Bened, who finished ahead of Lou Jeanmonnot.
Two months before the Olympic Games at home, has Dorothea Wierer been back in great shape, she who will end her career at Milan-Cortina? The 35-year-old biathlete, former double winner of the big crystal globe, remains in two disappointing seasons in the World Cup, where she finished 40th then 13th.
But from the first individual race of the 2025-26 season, the individual race (15km), the Italian struck a major blow by winning her seventh World Cup victory in this discipline, in Östersund, as in 2015 and 2022. Starting with bib 64 in the Swedish night, Dorothea Wierer made two mistakes, but she flew on the skis (5th time) to win with three tenths ahead of the Finnish Sonja Leinamo.
The beautiful surprise Bened
The 23-year-old biathlete, who only made one mistake, was still in the lead 500m from the finish, but the Italian beat her to the post. The Finn, unknown to the general public, still consoles herself by climbing onto the first World Cup podium of her career. In third place, we also find a biathlete unknown to the general public who is on her first podium, and she is French: Camille Bened!
At 25, the Haut-Savoyarde, victorious in the IBU Cup (the D2 of biathlon) last season, was only competing in the second World Cup stage of her career, and she finished third. At the top of the ranking before arriving at the last shooting range, she made an error, which cost her the victory. This result is absolutely promising for the future!
Braisaz-Bouchet misses out
Behind Bened, we find the most anticipated Frenchwoman this season, Lou Jeanmonnot. But the runner-up in the 2024-25 World Cup made two shooting errors and had to settle for fourth place. Her rival Franziska Preuss, victorious in the big globe last March, finished only 29th, with four faults on the clock.
In the absence of Julia Simon, suspended for this stage in Östersund, Jeanne Richard finished third best Frenchwoman (13th) and Océane Michelon fourth (28th). Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, on the other hand, completely missed her race, with seven mistakes made. Next meeting for the best biathletes in the world: the sprint on Saturday.
WORLD CUP (F) / ÖSTERSUND (SWEDEN)
Individual classification (15km) – Tuesday December 2, 2025
1- Dorothea Wierer (ITA) in 43’08 (2 faults)
2- Sonja Leinamo (FIN) at 0″3 (1)
3- Camille Bened (FRA) at 8″4 (1)
4- Lou Jeanmonnot (FRA) at 31″3 (2)
5- Hanna Oeberg (SUE) at 34″3 (3)
6- Maya Cloetens (BEL) at 37″7 (1)
7- Amy Baserga (SUI) at 47″5 (2)
8- Elvira Oeberg (SUE) at 51″6 (3)
9- Anna Magnusson (SUE) at 1’01 (2)
10- Lisa Vittozzi (ITA) at 1’02 (3)
…
13- Jeanne Richard (FRA) at 1’40 (3)
25- Océane Michelon (FRA) at 2’55 (4)
38- Amandine Mengin (FRA) at 4’02 (2)
63- Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (FRA) at 5’51 (7)
70- Gilonne Guigonnat (FRA) at 6’26 (6)
…
