The biathlon events in Antholz brought historic French dominance, a generational shift in Norway, and the visible decline of several major favorites. Some athletes reached the peak of their careers, while others left without a medal. The true balance of this Olympic Games is reflected not only in the medal table, but in the changing power dynamics of the sport itself.
Medal table:
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
| 1. | France | 6 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
| 2. | Norway | 3 | 5 | 3 | 11 |
| 3. | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4. | Italy | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 5. | Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | ||
| 5. | Czech Republic | 1 | 1 | ||
| 5. | Finnland | 1 | 1 | ||
| 5. | Germany | 1 | 1 |
Those Who Delivered
In some ways, the Olympics are just another race weekend: current form and timing matter most. What makes them different is that athletes know the next opportunity will come only four years later. The psychological weight is entirely different. The athletes listed below were considered medal contenders based on the season—and they delivered.
Johan-Olav Botn
This was his first full World Cup season. He started strongly, but for someone who had not even competed at a World Championships before, handling Olympic pressure could have been overwhelming. Instead, Botn shot clean in the opening race and became Olympic champion. He finished in the top 10 in every individual event and added a relay silver. There is little room for disappointment.
Quentin Fillon Maillet
Arriving already as a two-time Olympic champion, he was not at his strongest during the January World Cup rounds. However, he peaked perfectly for the Games. He finished top eight in every race—elite-level consistency. He won the sprint and took bronze in the mass start. With two relay golds, he now has five Olympic titles. He has won gold in every discipline except the mass start and has firmly entered the ranks of the sport’s all-time greats.
Julia Simon
Her season began in turmoil due to the bank card fraud case that kept her away from the opening World Cup round. What followed was nearly a perfect Olympics—except for the sprint. Two relay gold medals, plus one individual gold and one silver. Notably, she anchored both relays under maximum pressure. Is there currently a more reliable fourth-leg athlete in the sport?
Lisa Vittozzi
After missing a full season, she returned with a clear goal: to win gold at home. The Italians were strong in the mixed relay, but the French proved unbeatable that day. In the sprint she shot clean but finished fifth. In the pursuit, however, she delivered an extraordinary performance, shooting clean again and fulfilling her dream. It is hard to imagine a higher-pressure shooting stage than her final standing series. Listening to the Italian anthem with gold around her neck at home soil was a defining moment. The question now is what new motivation she finds moving forward.
Maren Kirkeeide
With more top-level experience than Botn but still only 22 years old, she had won just one World Cup race before the Olympics. Starting the final lap of the sprint from behind, she once again demonstrated that she is among the strongest finishers in the field, becoming the youngest winner of this Games.
The Surprise Performers
Every Olympics brings unexpected stories. Over more than ten races, surprises are inevitable. The names below either emerged from nowhere or delivered a level of consistency few anticipated.
The French Relay Teams
It is historic that France won all relay events. Since the mixed relay was introduced in 2014, no nation had ever won all three relay competitions at a single Olympics—until now. They were contenders in each event, but converting close battles into three gold medals is remarkable. The magnitude of the achievement is highlighted by the fact that the last time one nation won both the men’s and women’s relays at the same Olympics was in 1998, when Germany accomplished it. This milestone also produced seven new Olympic champions for France. Several of them will be over 30 in four years—but who would not be tempted by a home Olympics? Repeating this will be extremely difficult.
Sturla Holm Lægreid
In my pre-Olympic analysis, I suggested he might not start in every individual race, as he was the only Norwegian without a podium during the season. Instead, he competed in all of them—and justified the trust completely. He reached the podium in every individual event. His skiing improved, his shooting was precise. At 33 in four years, participation is uncertain—but he has already won a World Championship, the Overall World Cup, and Olympic gold.
Martin Ponsiluoma
With only one podium during the season and his last individual win dating back to November 2022, expectations were limited. Starting seventh in the pursuit, he became Olympic champion, winning by more than 20 seconds—a dominant display.
Olli Hiidensalo
Never previously a medalist, he still did not win one—but relative to his career, this was extraordinary. Across more than 200 starts at World Championships, World Cups, and Olympics, he had only one top-10 and five top-15 finishes before this Games. In Antholz, he placed fourth in the individual, 11th in the sprint, and 14th in the mass start. The finest two weeks of his career.
Lora Hristova
I predicted there would be a major surprise—and Hristova delivered it. Before the Olympics, her best career result was a 13th place at the 2025 World Championships. In Antholz, she surpassed that three times. Her bronze in the individual was outstanding, and her consistency afterward confirmed it was no fluke. Her worst finish was 14th in the mass start. At just 22, she will now be closely watched on the World Cup circuit.
Océane Michelon
Breaking into the French team at 23 is already an achievement. She did not get the start in the individual, but she handled the pressure in subsequent races impressively. After narrowly missing gold in the sprint, she responded with strong performances in the relay and the mass start. Her skiing speed was excellent. A major career likely lies ahead.
Tereza Voborníková
The Czech athlete arrived after a fluctuating season, with just one top-10 finish. At the Olympics, she took bronze in the mass start—her first-ever podium across World Cups and World Championships combined. She finished top 20 in all individual races. These were clearly the best two weeks of her career.
Anne de Besche
The Danish athlete made her World Cup debut in Ruhpolding this season with a 78th place. At the Olympics, she qualified for the mass start thanks to a 16th place in the sprint and 20th in the pursuit. If another male athlete joins the two Slettemark siblings, Denmark could realistically field a mixed relay in 2030.
Missed Targets
More athletes arrive at the Olympics with dreams of winning medals than can actually achieve them. The competitors listed below were all contenders for medals in indu, but ultimately fell short.
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet
Left out of both relays, and her shooting explained why. Eight misses in the individual (80th place), four in the sprint (outside top 60), and six misses in the mass start where she was defending champion, finishing 27th. A disappointing Games.
Franziska Preuss
Illness disrupted her season, and she never reached the podium before the Olympics. Hopes that she would rediscover last year’s overall-winning form did not materialize. She retires without an individual Olympic medal. Her best finish was sixth in the pursuit. She skied penalty loops in both relays. Saturday’s race was the last race of her life, leaving a huge void behind her. The question is who will take her place in the German team.
Anna Magnusson
Arrived third overall and had led the standings earlier in the season. She had a total of four podium finishes during the season, but all of them came in the first two weekends. One top-10 individual finishes at the Olympics. A penalty loop in the women’s relay, though Sweden finished second.
Elvira Öberg
At the beginning of January, she won twice in Oberhof and came fourth in the sprint in Ruhpolding, but this form completely disappeared at the Olympics. She managed a top 10 finish in the mass start. She shot perfectly in the women’s relay and played a major role in securing second place.
Hanna Öberg
She achieved very strong results before the Olympics. In January, she had three podium finishes in individual races at two German venues, but she was unable to match this at the Olympics. She finished 8th in the pursuit, which was her best individual race, and performed well in the two relay races.
Dorothea Wierer
She won races and led the overall competition. She had several podium finishes in the first part of the season, but then she was unable to repeat that success. She did not do well in the sprint and relay events, but she achieved the best time in the pursuit, finishing in the top 10 after starting in 44th place. Her average performance was among the best, but she was unable to win a medal in individual races. We saw her for the last time on Saturday, and she will be very difficult for the Italians to replace. The sport has lost a great competitor.
Tommaso Giacomel
He had a winning streak during the season and led the points competition for a while. He had a couple of weaker races before the Olympics, but he still had the best chance of winning a medal for Italy. However, the individual races did not go well, with his best result being 6th place in the pursuit, and he had to withdraw from the mass start due to health problems. Hopefully, he will be able to continue the season without any serious problems.
Sebastian Samuelsson
The Swede was first, second, and third in the season, perhaps the best season of his career until the Olympics. However, he did not perform well at the Antholz Games, failing to finish in the top three even once. His best result was fifth place in the sprint.
How Accurate Was the Olympic Prediction?
In the lead-up to the Olympics for men and women, I took it upon myself to predict who would win the relay and individual medals and how many. I was more accurate in some places, and less accurate in others, but let the numbers speak for themselves:
In the mixed relay, the score was 3/2 on the podium based on the predictions, with the men’s relay finishing 3/3 and the women’s relay also finishing 3/2. I think the Norwegian women’s and German mixed podiums were a surprise.
Individual results:
| Competitor | Predicted medal count | Actual medal count |
| Jeanmonnot | 2 | 2 |
| Braisza-Bouchet | 1 | 0 |
| Simon | 1 | 2 |
| Hanna Öberg | 1 | 0 |
| Elvira Öberg | 1 | 0 |
| Preuss | 1 | 0 |
| Kirkeeide | 1 | 2 |
| Wierer | 1 | 0 |
| Vittozzi | 1 | 1 |
| Minkkinen | 1 | 1 |
| “Surprise contender” | 1 | 2 (Hristova and Voborniková included here) |
| Total | 12 | 10 |
Those I didn’t predict and who won medals: Michelon
| Competitor | Predicted medal count | Actual medal count |
| Perrot | 2 | 1 |
| Dale | 2 | 1 |
| Botn | 1 | 1 |
| Christiansen | 1 | 1 |
| Samuelsson | 2 | 0 |
| Giacomel | 3 | 0 |
| Wright | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 12 | 4 |
Those I didn’t predict and who won medals: Ponsiluoma,Lægreid,Fillon Maillet,Jacquelin
Overall, I correctly read the balance of power in the relays, but in the men’s individual events, it was once again demonstrated that Olympic timing can override the World Cup hierarchy.
At the Antholz Olympics, we saw dreams come true and dreams unfulfilled, the rise of new stars and the emergence of new talents. The next World Cup competition will be held in Kontiolahti in two weeks’ time. There will be individual, mass start and relay competitions. The question is who will be able to maintain their good form and who will be motivated to continue in the remaining three rounds.
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