For a long time it felt like things were only going up for the French biathlon talent Clémence Lepouriel, but last year for the first time there was noticeable sand in the gears of the young ski hunter. The 17-year-old has now spoken in detail about her problems.
Review: In spring 2025, after successful years in the U17 class, Lepouriel was appointed to the U19 squad of the Savoy Ski Association. A sporting advancement, but changing teams was difficult for her.
“It was difficult to get used to it because I didn’t know the older girls and didn’t know how to deal with them,” the teenager admitted in an interview with Nordic Magazine.
Although she discussed the concerns with her coach Antoine Echavidre, Lepouriel found herself faced with increasingly higher hurdles as the weeks went by. The scope of training in particular gave her a headache.
The result: The biathlete, who turns 18 in October, completely ruined the start of the season. At the first national races of the winter she ended up in no man’s land.
“I was in a bad mood because I completely lacked self-confidence. I tried several times to pick myself up again, but I just couldn’t. The will and joy were gone, I didn’t feel like training anymore,” she recalled.
Biathlon jewel “was no longer having fun”
To make matters worse, Lepouriel also suffered a painful foot injury. “I couldn’t run and had to stop competing for a month,” said the Frenchwoman.
But the forced break was a “blessing” for her, Lepouriel made it clear: “Because I felt uncomfortable with what I was doing and no longer enjoyed it.”
Through mental training, she rediscovered the joy of training: “I went training alone with my father – just for fun. That was a change, and a really good one!”
So Lepouriel gained new courage and regained her ambition. “For next year I want to target international races. That will be my main goal,” she announced.