How is it possible that we are already approaching the 2026 Olympic Games? While each season has it’s patterns with the normal rise and fall of the tension of each trimester, the overall calendar of the biathlon world operates on a four year window built towards a crescendo at each Olympics. The every four year event is the most prestigious moment. While biathlon remains the most popular winter sport in Europe, it is the one time a year that the sport really breaks through around the world. And even in Europe the excitement and tension mounts to see who can attain one of the most rare prizes in the sport, Olympic hardware. Well here we are in the final countdown to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games that will be, for our purposes, competed in the friendly and gorgeous venue at Antholz!
Dates: February 7 – February 22, 2026
Schedule:
– Sunday February 8th: Mixed Relay (M+W)
– Tuesday February 10th: Men’s 20km Individual
– Wednesday February 11th: Women’s 15km Individual
– Friday February 13th: Men’s 10km Sprint
– Saturday February 14th: Women’s 7.5km Sprint
– Sunday February 15th: Men’s 12.5km Pursuit + Women’s 10km Pursuit
– Tuesday February 17th: Men’s 4×7.5km Relay
– Wednesday February 18th: Women’s 4x6km Relay
– Friday February 20th: Men’s 15km Mass Start
– Saturday February 21st: Women’s 12.5km Mass Start
Course Overview:
For the first time in ages we have an Olympics that is competed on a track that the athletes will know as well as any in the world. Just looking back and the last several Olympics and you have: Beijing, Peyongchang, Sochi, Vancouver, Torino, Salt Lake, Nagano… Each of those venues was new (or quite rare) at the time that those competitions were held. Not the case with Antholz. The yearly stop is beloved amongst athletes, coaches, support staff and fans. Even those of us who have never been there can close our eyes and picture it. But even with that being said, let’s take a look at this course we know so well.
First we have a map with all of the courses overlaid on each other. Just gives you the best sense about where common sections of the course and where the longer sections pick up the extra ground. I find this to be fascinating and I absolutely low it. I also appreciate them including the course profiles as well so you can see exactly how lumpy/bumpy they are. Particularly look at how the 4.0km loop more than the other loops you hit a very high point around the 40% mark through the course and then it’s generally downhill the rest of the way. The 3.3km track (the Men’s Sprint) looks the toughest. Below we will have each of them laid out separately.
Above we have each of the tracks listed by distance:
– 2km: Mixed Relay + Women’s Pursuit + Women’s Relay
– 2.5km: Women’s Sprint + Men’s Pursuit + Men’s Relay + Women’s Mass Start
– 3km: Women’s Individual + Men’s Mass Start
– 3.3km: Men’s Sprint
– 4km: Men’s Individual
Weather: It’s difficult to find the weather forecast for the arena in an easy to post format so I’m going to post multiple. The problem is that getting the exact weather for the arena location and not the valley of the mountain top.
Basically no matter where you look the weather for the next week looks pretty good. Daytime temperatures will be right around freezing which is great for the course. Maybe a tiny bit of snow here or there but not enough to make a big difference in the conditions of the course. It will be important to get the wax correct though. And wind conditions look favorable as well! Couldn’t have scripted better weather for these Olympics!
News and Notes (I’ll do my best to update this as the Games approach)
1) Quotas: Just a quick reminder on the starting quotas. The most athletes that any nation can start in a race in the Olympics is 4. There are no special extra bibs given as there are at the World Championships. The top 20 nations from the prior year (24-25) Nations Cup standings get 4 starters per race. The top 3 in the Nations Cup get to register 6 athletes and the top 10 get to register 5. However, they can still only run 4 per race. They can mix and match however they way. Then there are the wild cards given out as well. You’ll find all rosters at the bottom of this page.
2) Mass Start: The Mass Start will be composed of the top 15 of the World Cup Overall list as of the end of the Nove Mesto competitions. They are automatically in the Olympic Mass Start unless they withdraw for whatever reason. The remaining 15 positions will be made up of the top 15 point earners during the Olympic races who were not already qualified (ie in the top 15 of the Overall standings). Reminder though, these are “virtual points” and do not contribute to their Overall standing for the World Cup race.
3)Rebecca Passler Out – News broke today (the Monday before the Olympic Games begin) that Rebecca Passler tested positive for the banned medication Letrozole. This was reported by the Italian national anti-doping agency after the A-sample returned a positive result. The B-sample has not yet been resulted. She was immediately suspended pending further results.
Letrozole is a medication with at least two uses that could lend itself to an explanation from Rebecca Passler that may lead to a shortened suspension if/when the B-sample returns positive. It is used for treatment of post-menopausal women who have been treated for breast cancer to prevent possible recurrence. It also is used in women who are having infertility problems. At this time we are still awaiting a statement from Passler herself but these are the most logical explanations *if* this was an accidental occurrence.
The reason why Letrozole is banned by WADA is that it does decrease estrogen for women and can increase testosterone levels. It is clear why this would be a benefit to women athletes.
At this time is appears Samuela Comola will be the replacement. Certainly no stranger to the World Cup she has been a stalwart these last few years, and prior to this season she would have been considered a favorite to make up one of the open positions behind Dorothea Wierer and Lisa Vittozzi. Indeed, Comola has performed well at the World Championships in the past with a 4th place in the 2023 World Championship Individual and 10th in that same Championships’ Mass Start.
Active Olympic Medalists (non-relays):
| Athlete | Medals + Year |
| Anastasiya Kuzmina 🇸🇰 | 🥇🥈🥈(2018)🥇(2014)🥇🥈(2010) |
| Quentin Fillon Maillet 🇫🇷 | 🥇🥇🥈(2022) |
| Elvira Öberg 🇸🇪 | 🥈🥈(2022) |
| Jakov Fak 🇸🇮 | 🥈(2018) 🥉(2010) |
| Justine Brasiaz-Bouchet 🇫🇷 | 🥇(2022) |
| Hanna Öberg 🇸🇪 | 🥇(2018) |
| Martin Ponsiluoma 🇸🇪 | 🥈(2022) |
| Michal Krcmar 🇨🇿 | 🥈(2018) |
| Sebastian Samuelsson 🇸🇪 | 🥈(2018) |
| Dorothea Wierer 🇮🇹 | 🥉(2022) |
| Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen 🇳🇴 | 🥉(2022) |
Recent History in Antholz
– Top 5 finishes last 5 seasons in Antholz
– Only includes athletes who will be competing at the 2026 Olympics
Lou Jeanmonnot (FRA) – IBU World Cup Biathlon, sprint women, Antholz-Anterselva (ITA). http://www.biathlonworld.com © Yevenko/IBU.
Women
| Athlete | Finishes |
| Julia Simon 🇫🇷 | 🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈, 5 |
| Dorothea Wierer 🇮🇹 | 🥇🥇, 4, 4, 5 |
| Lou Jeanmonnot 🇫🇷 | 🥇🥇🥈🥉 |
| Franziska Preuß 🇩🇪 | 🥉🥉, 4 |
| Lena Häcki-Groß 🇨🇭 | 🥇🥉 |
| Lisa Hauser 🇦🇹 | 🥇🥉 |
| Justine Braisaz-Bouchet 🇫🇷 | 🥇, 5 |
| Elvira Öberg 🇸🇪 | 🥉🥉 |
| Hanna Öberg 🇸🇪 | 🥈, 4 |
| Vanessa Voigt 🇩🇪 | 4, 4 |
| Selina Grotian 🇩🇪 | 🥈 |
| Lisa Vittozzi 🇮🇹 | 🥈 |
| Yulia Dzhima 🇺🇦 | 🥈 |
| Jeanne Richard 🇫🇷 | 4 |
| Oceane Michelon 🇫🇷 | 5 |
| Juni Arnekleiv 🇳🇴 | 5 |
| Karoline Knotten 🇳🇴 | 5 |
| Janina Hettich-Walz 🇩🇪 | 5 |
| Marketa Davidova 🇨🇿 | 5 |
| Anamarija Lampic 🇸🇮 | 5 |
I think you look at the top of this list and see Julia Simon, Dorothea Wierer, Lou Jeanmonnot, and Franziska Preuß, and it’s not surprising in the least. Four of the best all around biathletes of the last five years (and more!) and they are the four best active biathletes in Antholz as well. It wouldn’t surprise you to know that Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Tiril Eckhoff also had pretty high totals as well! It really looks like what we all suspect, this course is preferential to the best!
Tommaso Giacomel (ITA) – IBU World Cup Biathlon, sprint men, Antholz-Anterselva (ITA). http://www.biathlonworld.com © Yevenko/IBU.
Men
| Athlete | Finishes |
| Sturla Holm Lægreid 🇳🇴 | 🥇🥈🥈🥈🥉🥉, 5 |
| Quentin Fillon Maillet 🇫🇷 | 🥈🥉, 4 |
| Martin Ponsiluoma 🇸🇪 | 🥈🥉, 5 |
| Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen 🇳🇴 | 🥇, 4, 5 |
| Tommaso Giacomel 🇮🇹 | 🥉🥉 |
| Jakov Fak 🇸🇮 | 🥉, 5 |
| Martin Uldal 🇳🇴 | 4, 4 |
| Johannes Dale-Skjevdal 🇳🇴 | 4, 5 |
| Lukas Hofer 🇮🇹 | 4 |
| Dmytro Pidruchnyi 🇺🇦 | 5 |
A much shorter list here. Why you might ask? Because Johannes Thingnes Boe and Tarjei Boe absolutely loved Antholz. They hoarded top 5 finishes here. That didn’t leave a ton behind, but what was left Stula Holm Lægreid did his best to sweep up!
Olympic Rosters:
🇮🇹 Italy
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Lisa Vittozzi (7) | Tommaso Giacomel (2) |
| Dorothea Wierer (10) | Lukas Hofer (14) |
| Michela Carrara (54) | Patrick Braunhofer (59) |
| Hanna Auchentaller (65) | Nicola Romanin (71) |
| Samuela Comola (75) | Elia Zeni (73) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 6th, 6th, 4th, 9th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 2nd, 11th, 10th, 2nd
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 2nd, 1st
🇫🇷 France
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Lou Jeanmonnot (1) | Eric Perrot (1) |
| Camille Bened (8) | Quentin Fillon Maillet (5) |
| Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (9) | Emilien Jacquelin (8) |
| Oceane Michelon (11) | Fabien Claude (16) |
| Julia Simon (12) | Oscar Lombardot (20) |
| Jeanne Richard (17) | Emilien Claude (35) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 1st
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 1st, 6th, 1st, 4th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 1st, 2nd,
🇳🇴 Norway
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Maren Kirkeeide (4) | Johan-Olav Botn (4) |
| Karoline Knotten (18) | Johannes Dale-Skjevdal (6) |
| Marthe Krakstad Johansen (24) | Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen (9) |
| Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold (35) | Sturla Holm Lægreid (11) |
| Juni Arnekleiv (83) | Martin Uldal (13) |
| – | Isak Frey (15) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 13th, 2nd, 2nd, 1st
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 3rd, 6th
🇸🇪 Sweden
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Anna Magnusson (3) | Sebastian Samuelsson (3) |
| Hanna Öberg (5) | Martin Ponsiluoma (7) |
| Elvira Öberg (6) | Jesper Nelin (17) |
| Ella Halvarsson (23) | Malte Stefansson (33) |
| Anna-Karin Heijdenberg (39) | Viktor Brandt (38) |
| Linn Gestblom (62) | Henning SJokvist (61) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 4th, 1st, 5th, 3rd
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 7th, 5th
🇩🇪 Germany
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Franziska Preuß (13) | Philipp Nawrath (12) |
| Vanessa Voigt (16) | Philipp Horn (18) |
| Julia Tannheimer (27) | Justus Strelow (21) |
| Anna Weidel (28) | David Zobel (26) |
| Janina Hettich-Walz (29) | Lucas Fratzscher (45) |
| Selina Grotian (38) | – |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 4th, 5th, 5th, 3rd
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 11th, 3rd, 3rd, 6th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 8th, 11th
🇨🇿 Czechia
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Tereza Vobornikova (20) | Vitezslav Hornig (19) |
| Marketa Davidova (30) | Michal Krcmar (22) |
| Lucie Charvatova (31) | Tomas Mikyska (52) |
| Tereza Vinklarkova (85) | Mikulas Karlik (54) |
| Jessica Jislova (-) | Petr Hak (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 7th, 9th, 6th, 6th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 3rd, 7th, 11th, 5th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 5th, 3rd
🇨🇭 Switzerland
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Amy Baserga (14) | Joscha Burkhalter (24) |
| Lea Meier (34) | Sebastian Stalder (31) |
| Lena Häcki-Groß (40) | Niklas Hartweg (41) |
| Aita Gasparin (56) | Jeremy Finello (-) |
| Lydia Mettler (72) | James Pacal (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 8th, 13th, 11th, 7th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 7th, 9th, 13th, 9th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 15th, 10th
🇫🇮 Finland
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Suvi Minkkinen (2) | Tero Seppälä (25) |
| Inka Hämäläinen (43) | Olli Hiidensalo (32) |
| Sonja Leinamo (47) | Tuomas Harjula (43) |
| Venla Lehtonen (51) | Otto Invenius (75) |
| Noora Kaisa Keranen (89) | Jimi Klemettinen (83) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 17th, 12th, 9th, 10th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 6th, 4th, 4th, 8th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 4th, 9th
🇺🇸 United States
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Deedra Irwin (26) | Campbell Wright (10) |
| Lucie Anderson (77) | Maxime Germain (44) |
| Margie Freed (78) | Sean Doherty (48) |
| Joanne Reid (-) | Paul Schommer (69) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 5th, 4th, 7th, 8th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 16th, 15th, 6th, 11th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 6th, 4th
🇦🇹 Austria
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Lisa Theresa Hauser (15) | Simon Eder (28) |
| Anna Gandler (32) | Patrick Jakob (74) |
| Tamara Steiner (48) | Dominic Unterweger (87) |
| Anna Andexer (55) | Fabian Müllauer (94) |
| Anna Juppe (61) | – |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 19th, 14th, 11th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 5th, 8th, 8th, 7th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 9th, 7th
🇺🇦 Ukraine
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Khrystyna Dmytrenko (45) | Vitalii Mandzyn (27) |
| Yulia Dzhima (84) | Dmytro Pidruchnyi (50) |
| Valeriia Dmytrenko (93) | Bohdan Borkovskyi (77) |
| Daryna Chalk (-) | Taras Lesiuk (89) |
| Oleksandra Merkushyna (-) | Anton Dudchenko (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 9th, 7th, 14th, 17th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 15th, 10th, 14th, 14th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 18th, 14th
🇸🇮 Slovenia
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Polona Klemencic (21) | Lovro Planko (47) |
| Lena Repinc (53) | Anton Vidmar (60) |
| Anamarija Lampic (66) | Miha Dovzan (65) |
| Manca Caserman (-) | Jakov Fak (78) |
| – | Matic Repnik (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 10th, 10th, 13th, 14th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 12th, 19th, 7th, 17th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 11th, 8th
🇵🇱 Poland
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Joanna Jakiela (36) | Jan Gunka (34) |
| Natalia Sidorowciz (41) | Konrad Badacz (39) |
| Kamila Zuk (52) | Grzegorz Galica (58) |
| Anna Maka (76) | Marcin Zawol (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 13th, 15th, 10th, 16th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 10th, 12th, 9th, 12th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 17th, 12th
🇧🇪 Belgium
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Maya Cloetens (25) | Thierry Langer (46) |
| Lotte Lie (37) | Florent Claude (57) |
| Eve Bouvard (-) | Sam Parmantier |
| Marisa Emonts (-) | Marek Mackels |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 20th, 17th, 15th, 19th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 18th, 13th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 12th
🇨🇦 Canada
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Nadia Moser (49) | Adam Runnals (84) |
| Shilo Rousseau (60) | Logan Pletz (-) |
| Pascale Paradis (91) | Zachary Connelly (-) |
| Benita Peiffer (-) | Jasper Flemming (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 18th, 11th, 19th, 21st
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 20th, 16th, 18th, 13th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 16th, 19th
🇸🇰 Slovakia
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Paulina Batovska Fialkova (22) | Jakub Borgula (81) |
| Anastasiya Kuzmina (58) | Simon Adamov (96) |
| Maria Remenova (67) | – |
| Ema Kapustova (87) | – |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year:
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 8th, 5th, 12th, 10th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 10th, 13th
🇪🇪 Estonia
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Regina Ermits (19) | Kristo Siimer (55) |
| Susan Külm (63) | Jakob Kulbin (63) |
| Tuuli Tomingas (79) | Mark-Markos Kehva (76) |
| Johanna Talihärm (-) | Rene Zahkna (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 11th, 8th, 8th, 5th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 17th, 17th, 16th, 5th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 14th, 20th
🇱🇻 Latvia
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Baiba Bendika (50) | Renars Birkentals (36) |
| Estere Volfa (68) | Andrejs Rastorgujevs (49) |
| Sanita Bulina (-) | Rihardzs Lozbers (-) |
| Annija Sabule (-) | Edgars Mise (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 22nd, 12th, 13th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 14th, 18th, 15th, 19th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 21st, 15th
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Milena Todorova (44) | Vladimir Iliev (56) |
| Lora Hristova (73) | Blagoy Todev (80) |
| Valentina Dimitrova (74) | Konstantin Vasliev (-) |
| Maria Zdravkova (-) | Anton Sinapov (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 12th, 21st, 12th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 9th, 14th, 17th, 16th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 17th, 22nd
🇱🇹 Lithuania
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Judita Traubaite (-) | Vytautus Strolia (30) |
| Lidiia Zhurauskaite (-) | Maksim Fomin (68) |
| Natalja Kocergina (-) | Nikita Cigak (-) |
| Sara Urumova (-) | Karol Dombrovski (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 21st, 18th, 17th, 15th
Women’s Relay Finishes this year: 19th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 19th, 18th
🇷🇴 Romania
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Anastasia Tolmacheva (80) | Dimitrii Shamaev (66) |
| – | George Coltea (88) |
| – | Raula Flore (-) |
| – | George Buta (-) |
Men’s Relay Finishes this year: 16th, 16th, 18th, 20th
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 22nd, 17th
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Aisha Rakisheva (-) | Vladislav Kireyev (53) |
| Milana Geneva (-) | Asset Dyussenov (93) |
Mixed Relay Finishes this year: 23rd, 16th
🇲🇩 Moldova
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Alina Stremous (42) | Pavel Magazeev (72) |
| – | Maksim Makarov (-) |
🇩🇰 🇬🇱 Denmark/Greenland
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Anne de Besche (-) | Sondre Slettemark (-) |
| Ukaleq Slettemark (-) | – |
🇭🇷 Croatia
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Anika Kozica (-) | Matija Legovic (-) |
| – | Kresimir Cmkovic (-) |
🇨🇳 China
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Chu Yuanmeng (-) | Yan Xingyuan (90) |
| Meng Fanqi (-) | – |
🇬🇧 Great Britain
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Shawna Pendry (-) | Jacques Jeffries (-) |
🇰🇷 South Korea
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Ekaterina Avvakumova (-) | Choi Dujin (-) |
🇦🇺 Australia
| Women (Overall Rank) | Men (Overall Rank) |
| Darcie Morton (-) | – |