After 12 days of competition, the 60th biathlon world championships came to a close on 23 February 2025, with the French team achieving yet more success. On the slopes of Lenzerheide in Switzerland, the Tricolores won no fewer than 13 medals, including 6 gold. Ranked first in the medal table ahead of Norway and Sweden, France equalled the record number of medals it set in February 2024 at the World Championships in Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic.

Of the thirteen French biathletes selected for these historic 2025 World Championships for the French team, four are high-level sports students or graduates of Université Grenoble Alpes: Jeanne Richard, Éric Perrot, Émilien Claude and Fabien Claude (who graduated in 2018). With four medals, the young champions from UGA made a major contribution to the success of Les Bleus.

Four medals, including two world champion titles

Éric Perrot, a top-level sports student studying for a degree in sports training, once again distinguished himself at these world championships. Reigning world champion in the mixed relay event with the French team and bronze medallist in the men's relay event with his team-mates in February 2024, the young French biathlon prodigy confirmed his rise on the international circuit in Switzerland.

After scoring the first individual World Cup victory of his career in March 2024 in the Soldier Hollow sprint, Éric Perrot once again climbed to the top of the podium at the 2025 Biathlon World Championships. On the opening day of the World Championships, he won gold with Julia Simon, Lou Jeanmonnot and Émilien Jacquelin in the mixed relay event. A few days later, he became world champion in the 20km individual event, claiming his first-ever individual world title at the age of 23.

A bronze medallist on 16 February 2025 in the pursuit event, Éric Perrot ended the World Championships on a high with a fourth medal. On 22 February 2025, he and the French biathlon team won the silver medal in the men's relay. He shared this runner-up world title with Quentin Fillon Maillet and two other UGA champions: Émilien Claude and Fabien Claude. With three world titles to his name, Éric Perrot is currently 3^rd in the overall ranking for the 2024-2025 World Cup!

World-class biathletes and performances

Like Marie Dorin-Habert, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, Anaïs Bescond and Chloé Chevalier, all graduates of Université Grenoble Alpes, UGA biathletes occupy a special place in French biathlon. At the World Championships, three-quarters of the men's silver medal relay team were UGA biathletes. For brothers Émilien and Fabien Claude, sharing the same medal in this relay is also a great achievement.

Émilien Claude, a top-level sports student studying for a Bachelor's degree in Sports Training, confirmed his rise to prominence in the French team at these world championships, following in the footsteps of his brother, who graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Training and was also 8^th in the sprint. An Olympic medallist in 2022, world relay champion in 2023 and winner of 25 World Cup podiums, Fabien Claude is currently 10th in the overall World Cup rankings.

Fourth in the mass start at these World Championships, Jeanne Richard, a top-level sports student studying for a vocational degree in entrepreneurship, is also part of the new generation of French biathletes. With three podium finishes to her name on the World Cup circuit, the young biathlete is in 5th place in the overall rankings for the 2024-2025.

Also of note at these world championships were the performances of several UGA students and graduates running under the Belgian colours. Civil engineering student Maya Cloetens finished 8^th in the sprint, 14^th in the mass start and 13^th in the women's relay. Florent Claude, who will be graduating in 2019 with a master's degree in sciences and techniques of physical and sports activities (STAPS), and César Beauvais, a top-level sports student studying for a degree in STAPS, came 14^th in the men's relay.

Inter'Val: a programme for the winter sports elite

To help them combine their studies with sport at the highest international level, the UGA biathletes who took part in these world championships are benefiting from the Inter'Val programme. Offered in all courses of study, this special support scheme was set up in 2004 in response to the severe constraints faced by winter sports specialists..

Reserved for athletes taking part in the biggest competitions, Inter'Val is based on a unique partnership in France between the UGA, the Agence nationale du sport (ANS) and 4 federations: the Fédération française de ski (FFS), the Fédération française des sports de glace (FFSG), the Fédération française de hockey sur glace (FFHG) and the Fédération française handicapisport (FFH).