IBU World Cup competition returned to the snow in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czechia for the final biathlon events before the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

The nighttime competition featured a rowdy crowd for the men's 15km short individual race, and it was the reigning world champion who finished on top.

French biathlete Eric Perrot raced to gold in 36 minutes and 30.6 seconds to win the final short individual competition before the Olympics.

"It was good, really good to shoot 20 of 20 today, that was a great feeling. I was focusing a lot on my shooting," Perrot said after the win.

Perrot's teammate, Emilien Jacquelin, took second in the 15km after he crossed the finish line 41.8 seconds behind the French winner. The second-place finish for Jacquelin was his first-ever World Cup podium in an individual event.

Italy's Lukas Hofer secured the final podium spot after he finished 12.3 seconds behind Jacquelin.

All three biathletes on the podium shot clean on a cold and windy night on the shooting range.

Team USA's Campbell Wright finished 14th overall out of 98 skiers.

Italy's Tommaso Giacomel sits 23 points ahead of Perrot and remains the overall IBU World Cup leader this season.

Competition continues with the women's 12.5km short individual event in Nove Mesto na Morave.