Munich's Olympiapark becomes a biathlon arena again this weekend, but several of the sport's biggest names will not be there. Lou Jeanmonnot and Quentin Fillon-Maillet are among the stars skipping the IBU's second Loop One festival on October 17 and 18. Rather than racing roller-ski supersprints around the Olympic lake, they are sticking to their original training plans, and France's head coach has openly questioned the format.
France, Czechia and Sweden thinned out
The list of absentees is long. Alongside Jeanmonnot, the reigning Olympic and overall World Cup champion, and Fillon-Maillet, France are also without Camille Bened, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Oscar Lombardot. They are racing the Summer Tour in Arçon, in the Doubs, on the same weekend, while part of the French team travels to Munich.
Czechia are also missing prominent names, with Tereza Voborníková, Markéta Davidová and Tereza Vinklárková all absent. Sweden have to cope without several stars: Sebastian Samuelsson and Jesper Nelin are out through illness, while Hanna Öberg and Linn Gestblom are both pregnant and sitting out the season.
Norway have gone the other way. The federation is sending 11 biathletes to Munich, including almost the entire Olympic team.
'It makes no sense'
France head coach Stéphane Bouthiaux made no secret of his scepticism when speaking to Norwegian media. He described Loop One as a well-organised festival but said that from a sporting point of view it was too unpredictable and made no sense. He also admitted the French federation had felt pressured by the IBU to send a strong squad, so it adjusted its plans and split the team.
The criticism centres on the format. Around 60 athletes are competing for just 15 places in the finals. Anyone eliminated in qualifying will have travelled for several days for a few minutes of racing, and at a crucial stage of season preparation. Many of the top names feel the October date is badly placed in the calendar.
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The event still has plenty of star power. Last year's winners Eric Perrot and Lisa Vittozzi return to defend their titles, and the host nation's women's team includes Janina Hettich-Walz, Vanessa Voigt, Julia Tannheimer and Johanna Puff. The inaugural edition drew around 50,000 fans to the Olympiapark, and entry to the festival grounds is free again.
Athletes race on a 1.8-kilometre loop, with the 50-metre range set up by the Olympic lake. Qualifying heats feature two shooting stages and the finals four, with qualification and finals for both women and men on each day. Johannes Thingnes Bø and Dorothea Wierer are among the guests, with Bø also joining the "Biathlon4All" activities for children and young people.
German broadcaster ARD will show the action from 3:30pm to 5pm local time on both Saturday and Sunday, with live streams on Eurosport. The World Cup proper then opens on November 26 in Kontiolahti, Finland, where it will become clear whether skipping Munich was the right call for Jeanmonnot and her fellow absentees.
