The Czech biathlete delivered the race of her life on home soil, in front of the electrifying atmosphere created by the fans at Nové Město. An 18th place in the Biathlon World Cup certainly stands out.

Less than an hour earlier, she crossed the finish line in 18th place in the Short Individual race, hitting 19 of 20 targets.

Read More: 12.5km Short Individual victory for French star in Nové Město

Ilona Plecháčová was born on December 26, 2006, in Jilemnice, Czech Republic, where she is currently in her final year at a sports-focused secondary school.

The 19-year-old biathlete is clearly among the most considerable talents in Czech biathlon. She was introduced to cross-country skiing through her mother, who also practiced the sport, and she therefore began her sporting journey under legendary coach Aleš Suk. She later switched to biathlon with Jilemnice-based coach Tomáš Holubec and is currently coached by junior national team coach Jindřich Šikola, also from Jilemnice, who has previously developed athletes such as Veronika Vítková and Markéta Davidová.

Her main strengths are her excellent skiing speed, often among the fastest on the course, combined with solid shooting reliability.

Outstanding results

Ilona Plecháčová has collected medals across all youth categories and has also competed at the senior level.

In 2023, she won a bronze medal in the sprint at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).

A year later, she captured gold in the individual race at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea (2024). This was the Czech Republic’s first-ever gold medal in biathlon at a global Youth Olympic event. She was also part of the bronze-winning mixed relay team.

At the Junior and Youth World Championships in Otepää 2024, she once again stepped onto the podium, earning silver in the individual race and two bronze medals in the relay and mixed relay.

Her list of achievements does not end there. Last year, at the Junior and Youth World Championships in Östersund, she was clearly the most successful Czech athlete. She won gold in the youth category, becoming the first Czech athlete to do so since Veronika Vítková 19 years earlier. She also claimed bronze in the sprint and the mass start, finishing the championships with three medals and emerging as the standout in the youth category.

Despite her young age, she has already been given opportunities to compete at a senior level, including at the 2025 World Championships in Lenzerheide, where she was part of the relay team.

She also regularly gains experience in the IBU Cup, the second-highest international biathlon circuit, where she has already recorded individual victories in the IBU Junior Cup, including the sprint in Jakuszyce in 2025.

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