The full box of the Italian Dorothea Wierer under the Swedish sun, victorious in the individual Thursday and the mass start on Sunday, does not change the bottom of things: at 26, Simon is in a strong position to become the first French since Sandrine Bailly 18 years ago to win the big globe which rewards the best winter biathlete.

Three races from the end of the season, sprint, pursuit and mass start in Oslo from next Thursday, the recent pursuit world champion has a 144-point lead in the overall World Cup standings over her most close pursuer, now Wierer (1003 points against 859).

A solid advantage, when 270 points will be at stake in the Norwegian capital.

"It's starting to go in the right direction for me", dares Simon, very proud "to manage to hold on to the front of the stage", when his pre-season objective was limited to finding regularity in his performances.

"Today, I think I showed that I had the shoulders to go get it, to keep moving forward, she appreciates. I took up the race on my own, I was involved in my shots, I don't have much to complain about, the girls were just better than me."

Jeanmonnot second

The girls in question are Wierer and another Frenchwoman, Lou Jeanmonnot, first and second, separated by six seconds, thanks to a 20 out of 20 behind the rifle.

The Italian Dorothea Wierer (c), winner of the Oestersund mass start ahead of the French Lou Jeanmonnot (c) and Julia Simon, March 12, 2023 © Anders WIKLUND / TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP

In the lead when tackling the last standing shot, Simon, finally third at eleven seconds, paid for his very last missed target.

Nevertheless, the Savoyard climbs on her tenth podium of the season in the World Cup, her first since the Worlds in Oberhof (Germany) in February.

"It's good for the head, it comes to concretize the (two) fourth places which are chained after the Worlds, it's good to take", she believes.

For Jeanmonnot (24), this is the second individual podium in the World Cup of her career, she who is living her first full season there.

She had already finished second in the individual at Ruhpolding (Germany) in January.

"To do 20 out of 20 in mass start conditions, in the World Cup, with this notch of stress above, I am rather proud", smiles Jeanmonnot.

A third Frenchwoman, Caroline Colombo, was invited to the top 5 (2 faults, 40 sec).

Second in the race for the big globe before Sunday's race, the Italian Lisa Vittozzi, only 18th at nearly two minutes, with four shooting faults, fell to third place (818 pts) in the general classification.

Wierer, now Simon's main rival, doesn't seem to be aiming high.

"I'm not looking at the general classification, Julia deserves to win it," she said at the microphone of the L'Equipe channel.

Ending next Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the hill of Holmenkollen.

© 2023 AFP