Justine Braisaz-Bouchet triumphed in challenging conditions at the 2025 IBU Biathlon World Championships. She won the women’s 7.5km sprint in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, on February 14, finishing with a time of 22:08.7.
Last year, Braisaz-Bouchet finished second to her teammate Julia Simon. This time, she hit nine out of ten shots, securing her win. Germany’s Franziska Preuss took the silver medal, finishing just 9.8 seconds behind her. Suvi Minkkinen from Finland claimed the bronze, only 10 seconds from the top spot.
This victory marks France’s second gold medal at the 2025 Championships, following their earlier win in the mixed relay. It was Braisaz-Bouchet’s first sprint title; she has previously won world championships in the mass start and relays.
Preuss, who had a tough competition last year, redeemed herself with this silver after also earning a bronze in the mixed relay. She missed one shot during the sprint but finished strong at 22:18.5.
Notably, only seven athletes managed to hit all ten targets in the sprint. Minkkinen was among them, celebrating her first world medal with pride. She was the only athlete in the top three to shoot flawlessly.
Defending champion Julia Simon struggled with the blustery weather, missing two shots and finishing in seventh place. She expressed disappointment about her performance and mentioned a “strange headache” that affected her focus during the race.
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