Today marks the start of the third stage of the Biathlon World Cup in Annecy, France, which will be the final one in the first trimester of the 2025/26 Olympic season. Ukrainian athletes are actively competing for ranking points, contending with the world's best biathletes, while the races are broadcasted by the "Suspilne Sport" channel.
Ukrainian Teams' Line-ups
As known, the Ukrainian women's team competes with its usual line-up, unchanged since the previous stage in Hochfilzen. Khrystyna Dmytrenko, Daryna Chalyk, Oleksandra and Anastasiya Merkushyna, as well as Liliya Steblina, will represent Ukraine in the sprint, where Dmytrenko will start at number 31.
The men's team has undergone changes — Taras Lesiuk has been called up and will debut this season at this stage. Together with Dmytro Pidruchnyi, Vitalii Mandzyn, Bohdan Borkovskyi, and Anton Dudchenko, he will participate in the sprint, scheduled for December 19 at 15:15 Kyiv time.
Annecy Race Schedule
- Thursday, December 18: 15:15 - sprint, women
- Friday, December 19: 15:15 - sprint, men
- Saturday, December 20: 13:15 - pursuit, women; 15:45 - pursuit, men
- Sunday, December 21: 13:15 - mass start, women; 15:45 - mass start, men
All races can be watched live on the "Suspilne Sport" platforms, providing coverage for biathlon fans all across Ukraine.
Background and Prospects
In previous stages in Östersund and Hochfilzen, Ukrainian biathletes showed a commendable level, earning ranking points. Vitalii Mandzyn and Khrystyna Dmytrenko stood out among others, notably, Pidruchnyi helped the team enter the top 10. Meanwhile, Anton Dudchenko makes his return to competition after illness, adding interest to his performance in Annecy.
