Justine Braisaz-Bouchet Finishes Third in Pursuit, Johannes Boe Wins Gold in Men’s
Lenzerheide, Switzerland – February 16, 2023
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet of France, fresh off her victory in the sprint event at the Biathlon World Championships, claimed a third-place finish in the 10-kilometer pursuit on Sunday, February 16.
The title went to Germany’s Franziska Preuss, who dominated the shooting range and leads the overall World Cup standings. Preuss finished with a commanding 39-second lead over second-place Elvira Öberg of Sweden. Braisaz-Bouchet trailed by 40 seconds. Lou Jeanmonnot, another French hope, placed fourth, just 1 minute and 2 seconds behind the winner.
Braisaz-Bouchet, who had been in the top three for much of the race, was hampered by three shooting errors (17/20). Despite her solid skiing time, she had only secured one individual podium finish before this season: a sprint victory in Le Grand-Bornand, France, in December 2024.
Johannes Boe Dominates Men’s Pursuit, Makes History
In the men’s pursuit, the world title went to Norway’s Johannes Boe, as expected. The 31-year-old, who had already won the sprint on Saturday, started in the lead and remained unchallenged on Sunday. Campbell Wright of the United States and Eric Perrot of France took second and third place, respectively, 8 and 20 seconds behind Boe.
With this victory, Boe, who has announced his retirement at the end of the season, has cemented his place in the sport’s history. This gold medal is his 12th individual title at World Championships, surpassing his compatriot Ole Einar Bjørndalen and France’s Martin Fourcade, who each earned 11 individual victories during their careers. Combined with his individual and relay titles, Boe has accumulated an astonishing 22 gold medals at World Championships.
Perrot’s bronze medal marks the fifth for the French team in five races at these World Championships. The 23-year-old biathlete, who started in 15th position 1 minute and 11 seconds behind Boe, made an impressive comeback thanks to his 19/20 shooting performance. He battled with Sturla Laegreid at the start of the final lap before quickly distancing the Norwegian. Perrot, who had the fastest ski time among all competitors, was unable to catch Wright, who claimed his second silver medal in two days.
"I feel like I gave it my all," said Perrot after the race to La Chaîne L’Équipe. "This medal almost tasted like gold. My skis were amazing today, which was part of my performance."
