She is a great champion who will bow out. At 30, Anaïs Chevalier announced this Wednesday on Instagram that she would be competing in her last laps this weekend in Oslo, on the occasion of the last stage of the Biathlon World Cup.
The Frenchwoman, who has a total of 10 medals to her credit at the Worlds and at the Olympics, announced the news on the social network. “I’m so happy to have given myself the change to succeed and stay true to my values throughout my career. So proud to have continued to fight in difficult times, proud to have dared, to have made choices and to stick with them”.
A well-stocked track record
After encouraging first performances in young people and juniors (vice-world youth champion in sprint and pursuit in 2011 then vice-world junior sprint champion in 2012), she joined the French biathlon team. In 2013, she participated in the 2013 European Championships in Bansko (Bulgaria) with two titles at stake (on the individual and the mixed relay for juniors).
Subsequently, the 30-year-old champion has shown tremendous consistency, especially in recent years. With the exception of the 2019 Östersund Worlds (precinct), Chevalier-Bouchet has won medals in all major events between 2016 and 2023 – including bronze in relay at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics or silver in individual and mixed relay at the 2022 Beijing Games. She also won seven medals (bronze and silver) in the sprint, pursuit, relay and mixed relay at the World Championships.
This Wednesday morning, the French Ski Federation paid tribute to this “unique biathlete”.
The International Biathlon Federation (IBU) thanked – in French – the champion for her career.