The statistics speak for themselves: France won thirteen medals at the World Championships in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), including nine won by girls and two mixed.
Untouchables, Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Lou Jeanmonnot and Sophie Chauveau shone brightly.
But the first two can still magnify their season with the big crystal globe as their objective.
The World Cup resumes this Thursday in Oslo (Norway) for the seventh of nine stages of the season.
For the moment, Ingrid Tandrevold dominates the general classification, with 719 points.
But the 27-year-old Norwegian seriously missed out during the Worlds.
She was never able to win any individual medal.
Her runner-up, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (689 points), conversely stood out, notably obtaining gold in the mass start.
Third, the Italian Lisa Vittozzi (671 points) won the individual.
With exceptional shooting consistency, she is a serious candidate for the big crystal globe.
“A hell of a fight”
Finally, Julia Simon, the most impressive biathlete of these Worlds (five medals, never ranked higher than fourth place), lurks nearby.
With 662 points, when a victory brings 90, it can still hope to win despite a complicated start to the season.
With more than a hundred points behind Ingrid Tandrevold, the fifth in the ranking, Elvira Oeberg, seems left behind.
“I think we're going to have a hell of a fight between Justine
(Braisaz-Bouchet)
, Julia
(Simon)
and Lisa
(Vittozzi)
, predicted Frédéric Jean to AFP.
I can see the thing coming to nothing, ultimately in the last race.
»
The former coach of the French women's biathlon team, now a consultant for the L'Équipe channel, clearly sees the Blues doing well.
“Julia has the advantage of having already been in this situation of playing for the general classification, Lisa perhaps too.
Afterwards, Justine has been so far ahead of the rest on skis since the start of the season... She walks on water.
»
Read alsoBiathlon Worlds: the crazy figures of the Blues' golden relay and the incredible French success
Thursday in Oslo (2:15 p.m.), an individual (15 km) will kick off this World Cup stage.
On Saturday, the girls will have the right to a mass start (12.5 km).
On the boys' side, the suspense is much less at the end of the season.
The first six in the general classification are Norwegians, with Johannes Boe in the lead.