The 2025/2026 Biathlon World Cup begins on November 29. Still, the international biathlon season officially kicks off earlier, on Saturday, October 19, with the debut of the IBU’s brand-new event concept, Loop One, in Munich. According to the International Biathlon Union (IBU), nearly all the sport’s biggest stars will take part.

Also Read: Biathlon stars ready for Munich’s Loop One Festival

The fastest women on the shooting range

France’s Julia Simon topped the list as the fastest athlete on the shooting range last season, averaging just 43.5 seconds from arrival to departure during the 2024/2025 World Cup. Switzerland’s Lena Häcki-Gross followed closely, only 2.3 seconds behind, with Sweden’s Hanna Öberg in third place.

Norway’s Karoline Knotten ranked fourth overall, just 3.3 seconds slower than Simon — and among the top three in the world when it comes to pure shooting time. Despite finishing 14th overall and as the second-best Norwegian in last season’s World Cup, Knotten was left out of the national team ahead of this winter. She has since built her own setup, coached by Roger Grubben and supported by her mother, Ann Karin Offigstad Knotten, as she targets the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Read More – Biathlon World Cup season 2024/2025: Final standings after Oslo Holmenkollen

Top 10 fastest women on the shooting range – IBU World Cup 2024/2025

1. Julia Simon, France, 43.5 seconds
2. Lena Häcki-Gross, Switzerland, +2.3 seconds
3. Hanna Öberg, Sweden, +3.1
4. Karoline Knotten, Norway, +3.3
5. Suvi Minkkinen, Finland, +4.2
6. Natalia Sidorowicz, Poland, +4.3
7. Selina Grotian, Germany, +4.4
8. Amy Baserga, Switzerland, +4.5
9. Franziska Preuss, Germany, +4.6
10. Aita Gasparin, Switzerland, +4.7

(Source: IBU  Biathlonworld,  Extrarunde)

Also Read: Fastest men on the shooting range

Ready for the World Cup

The 2025/2026 Biathlon World Cup season will open in Östersund on November 29 and feature eight World Cup rounds plus the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Also Read: Biathlon World Cup: Calendar for the 2025/2026 winter season 

The 2026 Olympic biathlon events will take place in Antholz-Anterselva from February 6 to 22.

Read More: Program for biathlon at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Before that, the season opener, Loop One in Munich, will serve as a high-profile warm-up event on October 19, bringing together nearly all the world’s top biathletes.

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