France continued its dominant run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, on Wednesday, with the women’s biathlon relay team poised to compete for gold following the men’s historic victory the previous day. The French team has already secured sixteen medals, nine of them in biathlon, marking an unprecedented performance for the nation at the Milan Cortina Games.
The women’s relay team, scheduled to race at 14:45 local time, is heavily favored to win. Despite recent off-sport challenges, the French team has demonstrated consistent success, achieving ten podium finishes, including five gold medals, in the last fourteen World Cup relays. They also triumphed at the 2024 Nove Mesto and 2025 Lenzerheide World Championships.
A notable change in the French lineup sees Camille Bened taking the first leg, replacing Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, the reigning world champion in the event. Braisaz-Bouchet has struggled at these Games, finishing 80th in the individual race and 62nd in the sprint, failing to qualify for the pursuit. Bened will be followed by Lou Jeanmonnot, currently ranked number one in the world and a triple medalist at these Olympics, then Océane Michelon, the Olympic sprint silver medalist and finally Julia Simon, who won gold in the individual event.
Elsewhere in biathlon, France’s success extends beyond the women’s relay. According to news-daily.com, the men’s team’s relay victory marked the first Olympic gold in the event for France.
In ski de fond, France’s Mathis Desloges continues to be a standout performer. The team has already achieved its best-ever Winter Olympics results with three silver medals – in the skiathlon, 10km race, and relay. They will compete in the sprint team event, where they previously won bronze in 2018. Desloges will team up with Jules Chappaz, a bronze medalist in sprint at the 2023 World Championships. The Norwegian team, led by Johannes Klaebo, who is aiming for a tenth Olympic title and a fourth in Val di Fiemme, is expected to be a strong competitor.
All eyes are also on Mikaela Shiffrin in the women’s slalom, scheduled for Wednesday with the first run at 10:00 and the second at 13:30. Shiffrin has dominated the slalom circuit this winter, winning seven of the eight World Cup races held so far. However, her Olympic record has been less successful. She left the 2022 Beijing Olympics without a medal and has experienced a mixed start to the Italian Games, finishing fourth in the team event after a disastrous slalom leg and 11th in the giant slalom.
The French team’s ambitions in the final alpine skiing event are more modest, with hopes for a top-15 finish from Marion Chevrier or Marie Lamure.
