Six young biathletes from Lozère took part in the Monts de Joux challenge, in the Jura

Sur la piste de ski, Mélia Reneuve s’est bien débrouillée mais elle a fait trop de fautes au tir. DR

The members of the Margeride Ski Club did not create the feat but they gained experience.

Six young people from the Margeride Lozère ski club took part in a biathlon race in the Jura, the Monts de Joux challenge. The event took place at the Tuffes international stadium in Prémanon. The 112 registered were able to enjoy a well-prepared track and beautiful sunshine, but they had to deal with a capricious wind which made it difficult to pass on the shooting range. Indeed, the conditions changed significantly between the time of the adjustments and the time of the race, which required corrections when the athletes arrived on the shooting range.

The competitors generally had difficulty adapting and made numerous mistakes, which forced them to perform penalty laps.

Difficulties

In the U15 category, three young people participated in their first biathlon race, Anouck and Capucine Tournadre and Mélissa Sicard. The race format, a mass start, was not the easiest to start with. In fact, all the competitors start at the same time and sometimes you have to jostle, which favors the more experienced. A difficult first experience therefore, for the three young athletes. Mélissa Sicard continued her setbacks with a problem with her rifle during the check, which forced her to start with a weapon she did not know. Capucine Tournadre was disqualified for non-compliance with a regulation point, which is unforgiving in biathlon as the officials are intransigent on safety.

Anouck Tournadre finished the race in 23rd position. Despite everything, this race will have left them with good memories and will have allowed them to gain experience for future events.

In the U17 category, Mélia Reneuve fought well on the skis, but made too many shooting errors to obtain a good ranking. She finished the 8 km race in 34 minutes, 7 minutes behind the race winner.

Facing champions

Marceau Barbance and Pierre Vallès started the race bringing together the U19 to senior categories. Ten kilometers punctuated by two lying down and two standing shots were to be covered. A mass start at a high level, with the Doubiste Sébastien Mahon and the Jurassien Martin Bourgeois-République at the start, both members of the French biathlon team. The latter competed for victory in a tight mano a mano won by Sébastien Mahon. The two Lozériens, lacking training on snow, did not do poorly, but they finished a distance from the previously mentioned champions.

In addition, another member of the club, Benoit Renaudier, also took part in a biathlon race at the Féclaz site, in Savoie. A race that will not go down in history with fog on the shooting range and a rifle spoiler broken during a fall.

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