The Biathlon World Championships ends today in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, with the mass start events for women and men. Discover how the race works and who the top contenders for gold are!

The Mass Start is called the “Formula-1 of biathlon.” You must be a quick shooter, not miss, and follow up with good skiing. Besides that, you must be ice cold to bear the pressure in Lenzerheide.

Can anybody beat the French sharpshooters who have been dominating these World Championships?

ABOUT THE 12.5KM MASS START FOR WOMEN

In the mass start, 30 athletes start together and compete over 12.5km. There are four shootings, the first two in the prone position and the last two in standing. You need to do a penalty loop for each missed target, which usually takes 20-25 seconds extra.

The first to cross the finish line is the winner of the race. In some mass starts there are 60 athletes, here they to different loops before the first shooting. This format has not yet been introduced to the World Championships.

Mass start races are often named “The Formula-1 of biathlon.” This is because of the tight fights between the athletes, the nervous shooting with a full range of athletes, and how it can change in the leaderboard through the competition.

In these races, you need to shoot quickly; therefore, many athletes need to take a bigger risk than in an individual race or sprint. A penalty loop typically means losing contact with the leaders and needing to chase behind.

Therefore, hitting all five targets on the first shooting stop is important to be up there and stay with the leading group. But the most difficult is normally the last standing shooting when everybody knows it is about to get decided.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS

• 1999    Olena Zubrilova, UKR
• 2000    Liv Grete Skjelbreid, NOR
• 2001    Magdalena Forsberg, SWE
• 2002    Olena Zubrilova, UKR
• 2003    Albina Akhatova, RUS
• 2004    Liv Grete Poiree (Skjelbreid), NOR
• 2005    Gro Marit Istad Kristiansen, NOR
• 2007    Andrea Henkel, GER
• 2008    Magdalena Neuner, GER
• 2009    Olga Zaitseva, RUS
• 2011    Magdalena Neuner, GER
• 2012    Tora Berger, NOR
• 2013    Daria Domracheva, BLR
• 2015    Valentina Semerenko, UKR
• 2016    Marie Dorin Habert, FRA
• 2017    Laura Dahlmeier, GER
• 2019    Dorothea Wierer, ITA
• 2020    Marte Olsbru Røiseland, NOR
• 2021    Lisa Therese Hauser, AUT
• 2023    Hanna Öberg, SWE
• 2024    Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, FRA

FAVORITES

Julia Simon, FRA

The speed she has both on the range and on the tracks is incredible. Simon and the whole French team are on a high note in Lenzerheide, and it can be all the French starters fighting for top honor. We picked Simon because her speed on the range and her good shape in the tracks.

Elvira Öberg, SWE

Getting better and better after her cold before the championships. She is one of the few who can challenge with speed. She is not as quick as Simon on the range, so she needs a good shooting result.

Franziska Preuss, GER

Is she hungry for more? The German has the experience to be cold when the heat is hitting the athletes on the range. Her disadvantage is that she is not shooting as fast as the French women and she may be not so quick on the final lap. But with 20 out of 20 she can challenge for another gold.

OUTSIDERS

Lou Jeanmonnot, FRA

It would have been our number 1 tip before the championships. But she has not been shooting so many zeros that we usually see from her. But for sure one who can win.

Suvi Minkkinen, FIN

Impressing the whole season and was awarded with her first WCH-medal. If she shoots clean, she can be in for another top chance. But Minkkinen probably needs the others to do some mistakes if she wants to win.

Maren Kirkeeide, NOR

Can be the athlete turning it around for the Norwegian women’s team, having had a very poor first part of the championships. But Kirkeeide’s skiing times have been good.

Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, FRA

The reigning champion. If she is shooting as good as in the sprint she will probably win again. But her shooting has not been stable and she has got penalty loops in most of the races this year.

START LIST

The complete start list can be found HERE

Also Read – Biathlon World Championships 2025: Complete program for Lenzerheide

FACTS Lenzerheide Biathlon World Championships Season 2024/2025

• When: Wednesday, February 12 to Sunday, February 23, 2025 
• Who: Elite national biathletes – women and men
• Where: Lenzerheide, Switzerland
• What: IBU World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland

PROGRAM

Wednesday, February 12: Mixed Relay (W+M) (More details can be found HERE)

• 14:30 CET: Mixed Relay, Women+Men

Friday, February 14: 7.5km Sprint W (More details can be found HERE)

• 15:05 CET: 7.5km Sprint, Women

Saturday, February 15: 10km Sprint M (More details can be found HERE)

• 15:05 CET: 10km Sprint, Men

Sunday, February 16: 10km Pursuit W and 12.5km Pursuit M (More details can be found HERE)

• 12:05 CET: 10km Pursuit, Women
• 15:05 CET: 12.5km Pursuit, Men

Tuesday, February 18: 15km Individual W (More details can be found HERE)

• 15:05 CET: 15km Individual, Women

Wednesday, February 19: 20km Individual M (More details can be found HERE)

• 15:05 CET: 20km Individual, Men

Thursday, February 20: Single Mixed Relay (W+M) (More details can be found HERE)

• 16:05 CET: Single Mixed Relay, Woman+Man

Saturday, February 22: 4x6km Relay W and 4×7.5km Relay M (More details can be found HERE)

• 12:05 CET: 4x6km Relay, Women
• 15:05 CET: 4×7.5km Relay, Men

Sunday, February 23: 12.5km Mass Start W and 15km Mass Start M (More details can be found HERE)

• 13:45 CET: 12.5km Mass Start, Women
• 16:05 CET: 15km Mass Start, Men

After the World Championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), the biathlon World Cup heads to Nove Mesto Na Morave (Czech Republic) and Pokljuka (Slovenia). Then, the 2024/2025 World Cup season ends in Oslo (Norway).

Also Read: Biathlon World Cup and World Championships: Calendar for the 2024/2025 winter season

Are you interested in biathlon? Click HERE and read more about it.