2025-2026 Östersund Preview

Dates: November 29th – December 7th, 2025

Schedule:

– Saturday November 29: Women’s 4x6km Relay + Men’s 4×7.5km Relay
– Sunday November 30: Single Mixed (M+W) Relay + Mixed Relay (M+W)
– Tuesday December 2: Women’s 15km Individual
– Wednesday December 3: Men’s 20km Individual
– Friday December 5: Women’s 7.5km Sprint
– Saturday December 6: Men’s 10km Sprint
– Sunday December 7: Women’s 10km Pursuit + Men’s 12.5km Pursuit

Course Overview:

– Stadium altitude: 355m
– Maximum altitude on course: 392m
– Lowest altitude on course: 345m
– Stadium capacity: 6000 spectators

In the above pictures you see the courses and profiles for in order:

1.5km loop: Single Mixed Relay
2km loop: Women’s Relay + Mixed Relay + Women’s Pursuit
2.5km loop: Men’s Relay + Women’s Sprint + Men’s Pursuit
3km loop: Women’s Individual
3.3km loop: Men’s Sprint
4km loop: Men’s Individual

First off, they changed the format of the maps. That’s not my drawing, it is direct from the organizing group in Östersund. I still think you get a pretty good idea of the layout. I wish that they did a better job of indicating where the hills were but you can still get a pretty good idea. And the profile does a good job of letting you know the total rise/fall in the loops. Nice to have before or during the races!

Weather:

– Avg Temp for late November and early December: High -2C and Low -6C

The screenshot above is from a local Swedish weather site and I’m hoping that means more accurate! In this case the weather leading up to the first weekend is all below freezing keeping things in good shape. Once the racing starts the weather actually looks pretty good. Wish it got below freezing at night on Friday before the races but it’s okay. The weather report doesn’t currently include the second weekend of racing but if this weather holds it should be a great start to the World Cup season!

News and Notes

1) Expanded Rosters – Just a reminder that with week one we have a few rosters that are expanded:
– 🇳🇴 Norwegian Men: Have 7 men starting for first 2 weeks thanks to Isak Frey’s IBU Cup Overall Globe. Though Lægreid won the Men’s Overall the team was capped at seven starters.
– 🇫🇷 French Women: Have 7 women starting for first 2 weeks thanks to Camille Bened’s IBU Cup Overall Globe
– 🇩🇪 German Women: Have 7 women starting for first 2 weeks thanks to Franziska Preuß’ Overall Globe

2) 🇫🇷 French Drama – The French team is at this point almost equally known for their drama as for their dominance. The Julia Simon credit card and theft calamity appears to be winding down. After two full years of denying the accusations publicly Julia Simon admitted in court to the theft. She received multiple fines (one legal and one from the FFS) and most importantly (as regards the actual racing) received a suspension that ultimately only ended up impacting one week of the 2025-2026 season. As a result Simon is out for this week but all signs point to her return in Hochfilzen. There is the possibility that the Biathlon Integrity Unit will take up the case and recommend additional suspensions but that remains to be seen at the time of this writing.

That, unfortunately, is just the tip of the iceberg for the French team. It was revealed this month that Jeanne Richard attempted to manipulate teammate Oceane Michelon’s rifle before the competitions in Pokljuka. She was stopped only because Justine Braisaz-Bouchet walked in on her. Almost unbelievably this didn’t come to light until 9 months later. It appears that the FFS is satisfied that this was “taken care of internally” with what appears to be a suspension that affected her training with the team early in the summer. Otherwise there do not appear to be further repercussions coming.

However, in my opinion, and I think that of most fans, this points to an underlying sign of discontent and distrust within the team. That they have had the magnificent success they have had the last few years is frankly remarkable and speaks to the incredible talents on display. My sincere hope is that the individuals and the team can work this out and if not become friends (not everybody needs to be friends) find a form of trust and reliance on each other. That might be too naive but I will continue to be hope they can find that.

3) 🇸🇪 Swedish Roster Questions – It’s Monday before the first week of racing and we still don’t know the full Swedish women’s roster for this week. They are taking this all the way to the end. The federation did announce the following: Hanna Öberg, Elvira Öberg, Anna Magnusson, Ella Halvarsson, and Linn Gestblom (she’s back!!!).

Then we have three women fighting for the final 1 (2?) spots: Johanna Skottheim, Anna-Karin Heijdenberg, and Sara Andersson. The first two women in this group were sick and missed the test races in Idre Fjall. Honestly, it’s anyone’s guess who they take. I wouldn’t put my money on anybody as they all have good arguments. This will get sorted out in the next few days. And…there is always the possibility they take 7 and don’t start everybody every race. Would it really be a surprise is Linn Gestblom didn’t start the Individual as she continues to recover from multiple shoulder surgeries?

4) 🇺🇸 USA – Just a quick note. You might remember but back in the first United States selection races in Soldier Hollow that Joanne Reid secured an automatic qualification. However, as she hasn’t raced in the last two years she has to start on the IBU Cup to reaccumulate IBU Cup points. As soon as that is completed she will return and Lucie Anderson will bump back to the IBU Cup.

Recent History

Men’s Multiple Podium Finishers Last 5 Competitions (Includes 2 weeks in 2020-2021)
– Does not include retired or ineligible athletes

Athletes	Finishes
Sebastian Samuelsson 🇸🇪	🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈, 4, 4
Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen 🇳🇴	🥇🥇🥈🥉🥉, 4, 5
Emilien Jacquelin 🇫🇷	🥈🥉, 4, 4
Philipp Nawrath 🇩🇪	🥇🥈, 4
Quentin Fillon Maillet 🇫🇷	🥉🥉, 5
Sturla Holm Lægreid 🇳🇴	🥇🥇
Lukas Hofer 🇮🇹	🥇🥉
Michal Krcmar 🇨🇿	4, 4
Sebastian Stalder 🇨🇭	5, 5
Tommaso Giacomel 🇮🇹	🥈
Justus Strelow 🇩🇪	🥈
Eric Perrot 🇫🇷	🥉
Vebjoern Soerum 🇳🇴	🥉
Andrejs Rastorgujevs 🇱🇻	4
Endre Stroemsheim 🇳🇴	5
Tero Seppala 🇫🇮	5

No surprise to see Sebbe Samuelsson at the top of this list. Östersund frequently is the opening race of the season and Samuelsson is a killer to open the season. But what about Christiansen next on the list? He was solid in Geilo. Maybe he can get the season started off right??

Women’s Repeat Podium Finishers Last 5 Competitions (Includes 2 weeks in 2020-2021)
– Does not include retired or ineligible athletes

Athletes	Finishes
Franziska Preuß 🇩🇪	🥈🥈🥉, 4, 4, 5, 5
Dorothea Wierer 🇮🇹	🥇🥇🥇🥈
Lisa Theresa Hauser 🇦🇹	🥇🥈, 4, 5
Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold 🇳🇴	🥇🥉, 4, 5
Julia Simon 🇫🇷	🥉🥉, 4, 4
Lou Jeanmonnot 🇫🇷	🥇🥇🥈
Vanessa Voigt 🇩🇪	🥉🥉, 5
Lisa Vittozzi 🇮🇹	🥇🥈
Marketa Davidova 🇨🇿	🥇🥉
Karolina Knotten 🇳🇴	🥈, 4
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet 🇫🇷	🥇
Hanna Öberg 🇸🇪	🥇
Elvira Öberg 🇸🇪	🥈
Yulia Dzhima 🇺🇦	🥈
Lena Haecki-Gross 🇨🇭	4
Linn Gestblom 🇸🇪	5

What two women have had the most success in Östersund the last few years? Dorothea Wierer and Franziska Preuß. Who were two of the women who looked most impressive the last few seasons? Dorothea Wierer and Franziska Preuß.

Lou, Franzi, and Lisa dominated the podiums here the last time the season started in Östersund. They then went on to dominate the women’s World Cup the last three seasons. Chances we see a repeat? Wouldn’t be a surprise considering they are, you know, three of the top women in the world at biathlon.

Recent Memorable Moments/Performances

23-24 Women’s Races– For two straight seasons Lisa Vittozzi had progressively fallen into a deeper and deeper hole with her prone shooting. It was difficult to watch. There were good signs throughout the summer of 2023 that she was looking better. Then she comes out in the first race of the 2023-2024 season and wins. Not only that but she wins by 0.1 seconds over Franziska Preuß (that looks awesome in retrospect right?). It was a statement that she was back and she would ride that returned shooting, and excellent skiing, all the way to Canmore and the Women’s Overall Globe. Vittozzi is followed at the top of the podium by Lou Jeanmonnot in both the Sprint and the Pursuit. Who came in second place of the Pursuit? Franziska Preuß. Really cool right? That weekend in Östersund two seasons ago really set the stage for everything we’ve seen in women’s biathlon since then.

20-21 season finale Mass Starts – delayed several hours due to high winds, the mass starts finally kicked off late in the day. In the dying light JT Bø and young upstart Sturla Holm Lægreid went head to head with Lægreid, finally for the first time all season, showing a hint of nerves. JT Bø squeaked out his 3rd career Overall Globe win by the thinnest of margins. Meanwhile in the women’s races the Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold grabbed her only career win while Dorothea Wierer, normally confident and quick shooter, paused for one of the longest shooting times of her career, an obscene total shooting time of 2:15.

22-23 Men’s Individual – With JT Bø, in the midst of the greatest single season in biathlon history, sitting out with COVID, the door was opened for somebody else to finally win a race. Benedikt Doll stepped through with his first perfect 20/20 of his career. Meanwhile Tommaso Giacomel seemingly wrested the u25 globe away from Niklas Hartweg with his first career podium and a 2nd place finish.

21-22 Season Opening Men’s – Sebastian Samuelsson dominated the opening of the season winning 2 of the 4 solo races held over two consecutive weekends in Östersund and finishing in 2nd in one of the remaining races. These performances propelled Samuelsson to actually the best individual record in Östersund over the last few years. Meanwhile Emilien Jacquelin scored a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th!

22-23 Women’s Races – Dorothea Wierer went 1st-1st to make a late surge in the Women’s Overall Race. While she just ran out of steam in Oslo Wierer’s back to back victories got her just close enough to possibly make Julia Simon a little nervous. It was just the latest in a string of good performances for Wierer in Östersund (2021 not withstanding). Lou Jeanmonnot, just like her fellow u25 Tommaso Giacomel, grabbed her best career finish with a 2nd place in the Mass Start.