by Despite a series of podiums and victories, the French women’s biathlon team currently trails behind in the Nations Cup standings, facing tough competition from the Norwegian team.
The French women have achieved remarkable success, winning eight out of fourteen competitions and two out of four relays this season. Additionally, they secured two top-three finishes in mixed events and attained seven other individual podiums. However, despite these exceptional performances, Norway, in our opinion rather surprisingly considering that both Marte Olsbu Røiseland and Tiril Eckhoff retired at the end of the 22/23 season, holds the top spot in the Nations Cup. The yellow bib holder Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold has stepped up this season and is the clear leader in the Norwegian women’s team. Still, other athletes like Karoline Knotten and Juni Arnekleiv have also made big strides this year.
The discrepancy in rankings is attributed to the inclusion of mixed races in the calculation. Norway consistently excelled in these events, contributing to their lead in the Nations Cup standings. The calculation for the Nations Cup only considers sprints and individuals, excluding the five French victories in pursuit and mass-start events.
As of now, before the world championships, Norway has accumulated 5,125 points, 58 more than France (5,067). The tricolors briefly took the lead after the individual event in Antholz, Italy, but lost their advantage following the mixed events without podium finishes.
Considering the depth of talent in the French women’s team we think it likely that they will be able to pass the Norwegian in the second half of the current season and reclaim the coveted crystal globe.
Meanwhile, in the men’s category, Norway leads with 5,562 points, followed by Germany (5,091) and France (4,683), which sits in third place despite a challenging start to the winter season.
