In 1924 in Chamonix, during the first Winter Olympic Games, a demonstration of Nordic patrol was organised, but until the end of the Second World War, biathlon remained an exclusively military sport.
Long before it became an Olympic sport that thrills crowds, biathlon was certainly one of the oldest activities practised by the peoples of the Far North… who travelled on skis with a bow on their backs to hunt. There are even traces of these skier-archers in Scandinavian mythology. Over the centuries, the practice developed for both warfare and hunting purposes.
In 1958, however, the first world championships were held in Seefeld, Austria. Governed by the IUPMB, the international federation that oversaw modern pentathlon and biathlon, biathlon became an Olympic sport in 1960 in Squaw Valley in the United States. Initially, Eastern European and Scandinavian countries, whose battalions had been practising this difficult art assiduously for a long time, dominated the competitions.
Over the years, other countries have taken an interest and, today, the balance of power has shifted considerably.
Until 1972, military weapons were used, which made the discipline restrictive and limited its practice. The advent of the .22 long rifle was the first major development. The independence of biathlon under the banner of the IBU (International Biathlon Union) in 1993 enabled the discipline to take an important turn. This new autonomy led to a major shift with the emergence of new competition formats that thrill the public and attract numerous partners, particularly in terms of audience numbers. The spectacular nature of the races boosts television audiences and attracts thousands of spectators to the main World Cup events. In Ruhpolding, Oberhof, Anterselva and Oslo, biathletes are recognised and adored as stars of a captivating spectacle. The duel between Raphaël Poirée and Ole Einar Björndalen, a fierce head-to-head battle that lasted nearly ten years, was an essential part of the international biathlon saga.
In France, the sport took a long time to emerge. Long lagging behind the major nations that had been practising it well before it appeared on the Olympic programme, the French were initially condemned to a long learning curve. Initially, the participants were cross-country skiers, not necessarily the most talented, who tried their hand at this complicated sport.
The first convincing results were achieved by Daniel Claudon in the 1970s, followed by Yvon Mougel, the first French world medallist in history in 1981.
It was the next generation, in the early 1990s, that took a significant step forward with the first World Cup podium finishes, the first relay victories, the barometer of a nation, the first titles and the first crystal globes. The high point came with the Olympic title won by Corinne Niogret, Anne Briand and Véronique Claudel in the relay at the Albertville Games in 1992, the bronze medals in both relays at the 1994 Games, and the overall World Cup victories of Patrice Bailly-Salins (94), Anne Briand (95) and Emmanuelle Claret (96), who died too young, and the world titles won by Bailly-Salins (95), Briand (95), Niogret (95 and 2000) and Claret (96).
At that time, a promising junior was honing his skills in the Vercors region. A certain Raphaël Poirée. With his rise to prominence, French biathlon took on a new dimension. Poirée was the star of the show, racking up exceptional performances with four overall World Cup victories between 2000 and 2004 and eight world championship titles between 1998 and 2007. Following in his footsteps, results are coming in, particularly for the women with Niogret, as always, but also Sandrine Bailly and Sylvie Becaert.
As has been the case since the 1990s, one generation is replacing another. The 2006 Turin Games were another triumph, with Olympic titles for Vincent Defrasne and Florence Baverel and bronze medals for both relay teams, putting the spotlight back on the sport.
The 2010 Vancouver Games saw the advent of a new wave, with an Olympic title and a bronze medal for Vincent Jay, silver medals for Martin Fourcade and the women’s relay team (Marie-Laure Brunet, Sylvie Becaert, Marie Dorin, Sandrine Bailly) and bronze medals for Marie-Laure Brunet and Marie Dorin.
In December 2013, the first World Cup was held in France in Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand, where Martin Fourcade took third place in the sprint.
Martin Fourcade takes flight and racks up titles and victories. To date, Martin Fourcade has won five Olympic titles (two at the 2014 Sochi Games and three at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games), 13 world championship titles, 7 consecutive victories in the overall World Cup standings since the 2011-2012 season, 98 victories and 186 podium finishes in the World Cup. He is the benchmark in world biathlon.
At the 2017 BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup in Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand, the French team shone with victories for Justine Braisaz and Martin Fourcade in the Mass Start. Not to mention Antonin Guigonnat’s first and impressive podium finish, behind Johannes Boe and Martin Fourcade in the Sprint.
France shone at PyeongChang in 2018 with Martin Fourcade as the flag bearer for the French delegation. Martin Fourcade won three gold medals, including one in the mixed relay with Marie Dorin-Habert, Anaïs Bescond and Simon Desthieux thanks to a magical victory! France won a total of five medals at these Games, including bronze medals for Anaïs Bescond and the women’s relay team.
In 2019, at the Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand World Cup stage, the French secured four new podium places on home soil: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet came second in the Sprint, Quentin Fillon-Maillet finished third in the Sprint and second in the Pursuit, while Emilien Jacquelin took second place in the Mass Start.
The current generation continues to fly the flag for France on the international circuit. In the men’s event, Quentin Fillon-Maillet finished third in the overall World Cup standings for the last three seasons. Four French athletes finished in the top 10 in the 2019/2020 season (Martin Fourcade 2nd, Quentin Fillon-Maillet 3rd, Emilien Jacquelin 4th and Simon Desthieux 6th) and three in the top 10 in 2020/2021 (Quentin Fillon-Maillet 3rd, Emilien Jacquelin 7th and Simon Desthieux 9th).
With Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet (9th in the overall standings in 2020/2021), Julia Simon (8th in the overall standings in 2019/2020), Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (9th in the overall standings in 2019/2020), as well as Anaïs Bescond, Célia Aymonier and Chloé Chevalier, the women are also very much in the spotlight on the world stage, with 11 World Cup podiums in 2019/2020 and 8 podiums in 2020/2021.
This generation also shone at the World Championships, winning 15 medals at the last two editions in 2020 and 2021.
From the 2022 edition, the public will remember the very promising results of Sophie Chauveau, then licensed to Le Grand-Bornand in the French B team:
– 4th in the sprint
– 5th in the Mass Start
– 8th in the Pursuit
The next generation is assured…
French biathlon is:
Le Grand-Bornand has hosted several editions of the Alpen Cup, the predecessor to the IBU Cup, which serves as a stepping stone to the World Cup. Christophe Vassallo, now president of the IBU Technical Committee and a member of the Ski Club, has competed in the event on several occasions.
The IBU organised the European Championships for the first time, entrusting them to Le Grand-Bornand. Raphaël Poiree, winner of the sprint, won his first major international senior title there.
Sylvie Becaert is the world sprint champion in Kanthy-Mansiysk and winner of the sprint world cup. During her career, the Bornandine native won two Olympic medals, five world medals and one world cup victory.
The French Nordic Ski Championships are a huge celebration that brings the season to a spectacular close every year. In 2007, they ended on an emotional note when Raphaël Poirée and Florence Baverel hung up their rifles for the last time before taking to the skies for a helicopter tour in honour of two great champions.
The Grand-Bornand site was chosen by the French Ski Federation to represent France’s bid to host a World Cup event. The resort was awarded two rounds in 2011 – which were ultimately cancelled – and 2013, as well as the IBU Cup final in 2011.
Le Grand-Bornand hosts the first stage of the Biathlon World Cup in France, with Martin Fourcade taking third place in the sprint. The World Military Games are held in Annecy. Le Grand-Bornand hosts the cross-country skiing and biathlon events.
Le Grand-Bornand is hosting the third round of the World Cup, marked by victories for Martin Fourcade and Justine Braisaz in the mass start.
In front of a record-breaking and enthusiastic crowd, the French team is still in the spotlight with four podium finishes in six races for Quentin Fillon-Maillet (2), Emilien Jacquelin and Justine Braisaz.
The IBU confirms the Annecy-Le Grand Bornand World Cup for 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Le Grand-Bornand, land of champions, is also home to biathletes Benjamin Daviet, triple Paralympic champion in 2018 and quadruple world champion in 2015 and 2017, Sophie Chauveau (French team / group B) and Damien Levet (French team / youth group): the next generation is assured!
