Biathlon IBU World Cup 2024 - 2025

[Werloc 3,176]

So, JTB and Tarjei had 19 podium finishes in 2024/25, seeing as they're retired and won't be competing next season, thought it would be fun to do a completely unnecessary and inaccurate simulation of what breakthroughs next season might have:

 

The most decorated biathletes of this season without Boes would be as follows:

 

Laegreid: 6-6-3

Perrot: 4-2-2

Jacquelin: 3-1-1

Samuelsson: 2-2-2

Stroemsheim: 2-0-2

Wright: 2-0-1

Fillon-Mallet: 1-5-2

Giacomel: 1-5-1

Uldal: 1-0-3

Soerum: 1-0-2

 

Some interesting things happen, for example, Wright becomes sprint and pursuit world champion, Mandzyn gets a very rare podium for Ukraine at the start of the season. Horn and Frey get their first ever podium in world cup and Riethmueller gets a world cup victory.

 

For the nation medal table, Norway still convincingly takes first place:

 

Norway: 10-7-11

France: 8-11-5

 

And then everybody else fighting for scraps:

 

Sweden: 2-2-3

United States: 2-0-1

Italy: 1-5-1

Germany: 1-0-2

Slovenia: 1-0-0

 

Even without the Boes, only 9 countries on the podium, but Pidruchnyi for Ukraine comes in 4th for three times, other than that, only Finland and Switzerland were close to getting onto the podium. With how things are going, seems like it's going to be Norway's year next year too with all the hungry youngsters with two extra spots on the Norwegian team. 

[heywoodu 15,333]

Preuss  

 

So happy to see that and so incredibly deserved after all those years

 

Too bad it came with an anticlimax after Jeanmonnot's mistake, but that's racing on the edge..

Edited Sunday at 06:52 PM by heywoodu

[Werloc 3,176]

  On 3/23/2025 at 6:51 PM, heywoodu said:

Preuss  

 

So happy to see that and so incredibly deserved after all those years

 

Too bad it came with an anticlimax after Jeanmonnot's mistake, but that's racing on the edge..

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Something that Germany desperately needed, because they're getting destroyed by Norway and France. Sweden is also moving ahead with capable athletes like the Oebergs, Samuelsson, Ponsi and new Swedish improvements like Halvarsson, Heijdenberg, plus it's probable that Andersson comes through next year as well.

 

With the level that Norwegian men and French women have, I don't really see Germany being ready to challenge next year. 

 

Have a feeling it's gonna be Perrot, Giacomel and a handful of Norwegians battling it out next year. 

 

As for the women, I think it looks like a French year, with Jeanmonnot + Michelon and Richard getting more time to get better, it's tough to see who could be consistent enough to challenge. Although, I would love for the Oeberg sisters to have a season where they're both healthy throughout. It's also uncertain what kind of Vittozzi we're getting, if Grotian has enough time to become a challenger and in what kind of form will Preuss come back to, after her first ever season with no health issues.

[heywoodu 15,333]

  On 3/23/2025 at 10:33 PM, Werloc said:

Something that Germany desperately needed, because they're getting destroyed by Norway and France. Sweden is also moving ahead with capable athletes like the Oebergs, Samuelsson, Ponsi and new Swedish improvements like Halvarsson, Heijdenberg, plus it's probable that Andersson comes through next year as well.

 

With the level that Norwegian men and French women have, I don't really see Germany being ready to challenge next year. 

 

Have a feeling it's gonna be Perrot, Giacomel and a handful of Norwegians battling it out next year. 

 

As for the women, I think it looks like a French year, with Jeanmonnot + Michelon and Richard getting more time to get better, it's tough to see who could be consistent enough to challenge. Although, I would love for the Oeberg sisters to have a season where they're both healthy throughout. It's also uncertain what kind of Vittozzi we're getting, if Grotian has enough time to become a challenger and in what kind of form will Preuss come back to, after her first ever season with no health issues.

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I do think Germany has a very good generation coming up, but next season is probably still too early for them to really be consistently fighting for top-10 results (with Grotian as the exception). But in terms of overall strength, yeah there is just no denying France being way, way ahead of the rest in the women's field. Like the Norwegian men, they can realistically field two teams in a relay that can both be on the podium, that's amazing.