Lou Jeanmonnot fought until the end of the last biathlon season to win the overall World Cup. The Frenchwoman ultimately lost her duel against Franziska Preuß in the very last race of the winter. She no longer has a problem with it.
A small but crucial mistake cost Lou Jeanmonnot his victory in the overall World Cup in the biathlon winter of 2024/25. In the mass start in Oslo, the 27-year-old fell a few hundred meters from the finish as she was engaged in a bitter duel with Franzi Preuß. The Frenchwoman’s disappointment was huge afterwards, but the wound healed quickly.
“I got over it quickly because I had good support from my family and friends,” Jeanmonnot recalled to “Nordic Magazine” about the race on March 23rd this year.
Jeanmonnot: Preuss’ victory was “fair”
She then took a step back and realized “that I only wore the yellow jersey for two days, while Franziska had it the whole season. So it’s only fair,” the four-time world champion once again showed herself to be a fair loser. Immediately after the race she congratulated Preuss and toasted the German. A gesture that earned her a lot of sympathy.
Jeanmonnot is also convinced that she learned a lot from her experiences last winter. “I have experienced completely different and stressful situations [im kommenden Winter] will benefit. Everything I did in this fight will help me achieve even more,” said the 27-year-old.
Ahead of the upcoming season, she is brimming with self-confidence. “I’m very confident. Maybe a little too much,” she restrained herself. Ultimately, this confidence is also the “key” when it comes to achieving performance, said Jeanmonnot, who concluded: “I’m very motivated.”