At 30, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet definitely appreciates the Czech resort of Nove Mesto, where the Worlds-2024 will take place.

It was in Moravia that she won her only World Cup victory, on a pursuit during the 2016/17 season, the day after a second place in the sprint.

Friday, with a fault on the standing shot, she took third place about thirty seconds behind the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and ten seconds from another Norwegian, Ingrid Tandrevold.

"It's nice, especially here, it's a place that I particularly appreciate. I'm happy with my race, it was a great biathlon and I had fun", commented after the podium the Olympic vice-champion individual (15 km) in Zhangjiakou (China) last year.

Saturday, she will start third in the pursuit, behind Roeiseland and Tandrevold but ahead of a pack of eleven biathletes concentrated in about thirty seconds behind her, and less than a minute behind the head.

Elvira Oeberg goes through

In ambush, Julia Simon consolidated her place at the top of the World Cup, taking advantage of the enormous poor performance of the Swede Elvira Oeberg, her first pursuer in the quest for the big crystal globe.

With a fault on the prone shot, Julia Simon finished in ninth place, scoring 32 points which allows her to increase her lead over Elvira Oeberg, who scored no points and will not start the pursuit on Saturday , only 63rd on Friday.

Sweden's Elvira Oeberg during the Oberhof sprint, February 10, 2023 © Christof STACHE / AFP/Archives

"A mistake is a shame. We will have to be even more vigilant tomorrow, try to erase that mistake. But the job was well done behind the rifle. I was electric today behind this rifle, I had want to go there", estimated the reigning world champion of the pursuit, at the microphone of the L'Equipe channel.

Six races from the end of the season (540 points at stake), Julia Simon now has a 108 point lead over Elvira Oeberg (843 against 735) and 168 over the Italian Lisa Vittozzi, eighth on Friday.

"Of course there is a race within the race. Today I may be taking the advantage a bit, but I know that Elvira is someone who is very solid, very strong mentally too and she is not going to let go like that", was wary Julia Simon, who can become the first Frenchwoman since Sandrine Bailly in 2004/05 to win the Biathlon World Cup.

"I was asking myself some questions about the physical. I answered my questions, I know now that it will be complicated, we will have to fight, but the end of the season is still long", she warned.

© 2023 AFP