Biathlon overall World Cup winner Lou Jeanmonnot celebrated her next success just a few weeks after the end of the season. At the French cross-country skiing club championships in Les Saisies, the 27-year-old secured her team promotion to the first division in the relay race on Sunday.
Lou Jeanmonnot is still in impressive form weeks after the biathlon season finale. On Sunday, the overall World Cup winner was part of a three-person relay team from her Olympic Mont d’Or club at the national cross-country skiing championships. As the final runner, she gained twelve places over a distance of just five kilometers and finished third.
The podium finish is synonymous with promotion to the first division, in which Jeanmonnot’s club can compete in next year’s national championships. Places one to six were eligible for promotion.
Michelon misses promotion despite catching up
Jeanmonnot was not the only well-known biathlete to compete in the cross-country relay. Her French teammate Océane Michelon was also there. She competed for her club Bauges Ski Nordique. Although the mass start Olympic champion was even a second faster than Jeanmonnot, it was not enough for her team to advance. Michelon had taken over the baton in 26th place and was “only” able to finish eleventh.
Jeanmonnot and Michelon were two of the most influential faces of the past biathlon season. While Jeanmonnot won the overall World Cup and four Olympic medals (2x gold, 1x silver, 1x bronze), the 24-year-old Michelon particularly excelled at the Olympic Games, where she won gold in the relay and also in the mass start. She also secured the silver medal in the sprint race.
