Calgary biathlete Pascale Paradis delivered a breakthrough performance on the Olympic stage Wednesday, combining disciplined shooting with strong skiing to record a personal best finish in her first Olympic race. The 23-year-old placed 24th in the women’s 15-kilometre individual at the Anterselva Biathlon Arena, marking Canada’s strongest result of the competition to date and signaling a promising start to her Olympic campaign.
Competing under bright lights at one of the sport’s most demanding venues, Paradis navigated the pressure of her Olympic debut with composure well beyond her years. The result eclipsed her previous World Cup best by seven positions and earned her a spot inside the top 25 in what is widely regarded as the most punishing event on the Olympic biathlon program.
“It was honestly a really fun day, and I think that helps a lot when it comes to an individual,” said Paradis, who was supported in the stands by family members. “I’ve been focusing on the process and doing what I can control in the race. I had my family here and I am happy to be able to have a good result for them. There were lots of mixed emotions throughout the range – I was nervous, stressed, and had fun.”
Steady climb through the field
Starting near the back of a 90-athlete field, Paradis steadily climbed the leaderboard as the race progressed. Her controlled shooting performance proved decisive in a discipline that places a premium on precision. In the individual event, athletes incur a one-minute penalty for every missed target, making accuracy as important as speed.
Paradis shot clean in both her opening prone stage and her final standing bout, keeping her penalty time to a minimum and allowing her skiing strength to shine through. With four shooting stops and 15 kilometres of skiing, the race demands sustained focus and endurance, particularly for athletes competing for the first time under Olympic conditions.
Her ability to manage the range under pressure stood out, especially given the significance of the event and the depth of the international field.
“It doesn’t happen often to have both great skiing and shooting,” laughed Paradis. “I was pretty nervous for the shooting. I took my time and focused on the breathing. I took it one shot at a time and didn’t focus too much on the hits or misses.”
Podium finishes dominated by France
At the front of the field, France claimed the top two positions. Julia Simon secured the gold medal with a time of 41:15.6, missing just one target in her second shooting round. Teammate Lou Jeanmonnot finished second at 42:08.7, while Bulgaria’s Lora Hristova earned bronze after shooting clean to post a time of 42:20.1.
Other Canadian women faced challenges on the range. Whitehorse’s Nadia Moser finished 67th at 48:04.6 after struggling to find consistency with her shooting. Shilo Rousseau of Thessalon, Ont., placed 78th at 49:45.4.
Men’s individual produces mixed results for Canada
On Tuesday, Canada’s men took on their own test of endurance in the 20-kilometre individual, the longest event on the Olympic biathlon schedule. Adam Runnalls of Calgary led a group of six Canadians, finishing with a time of 1:00:04.5.
“Not my best day today. I had a hard time staying focused on what I needed to do,” said Runnalls.
The 27-year-old was aiming to build on a perfect shooting performance from the relay earlier in the week but struggled to find consistency across four shooting bouts. After missing one target in his opening prone stage, Runnalls missed two in the first standing round and dropped one target in each of his final prone and standing stages.
“It was just one of those days where I was out of it, and not feeling the flow of the shooting,” he added. “Not really sure what or why I found myself distracted but the end results show it. I need to debrief and regroup for the sprint race on Friday.”
Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn claimed gold with a clean shooting performance in 51:31.5. France’s Eric Perrot earned silver, while Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid took bronze.
Additional Canadian results included Ottawa’s Zachary Connelly in 66th, Regina’s Logan Pletz in 77th, and Squamish, B.C.’s Jasper Fleming in 86th.
Momentum heading into next events
For Paradis, the strong opening result provides momentum heading into the remainder of the Olympic program. With one race complete and confidence building, the Calgary athlete has positioned herself as a competitive presence among the world’s elite, reinforcing Canada’s depth in a sport where margins are often measured in seconds and single shots.
