Biathlon-France's Jeanmonnot tests SkiMo to recharge biathlon batteries

ANTERSELVA, ITALY, Feb 19 - With two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the Milano Cortina Games, French biathlete Lou Jeanmonnot has a novel approach to taking a break from biathlon - by engaging in ski mountaineering, which made its Olympic debut on Thursday.

The sport, in which skiers battle head-to-head, first climbing a steep slope before tackling a staircase in boots with skis on their backs and then a slalom ski back down to the bottom of the course, crowned its first champions, but Jeanmonnot is taking things at a much more sedate pace.

"I really enjoy taking a break from biathlon, being able to unplug a bit on my own, away from the usual noise and excitement. It's a sport I practise extremely slowly, and that feels really good," she said after a training session in the heavy snow of Anterselva on Thursday.

"I didn't have to fight to be allowed to go - according to my coach, it was actually a good idea to recharge my mind a little, and to take a break. He really encouraged me to go."

The 27-year-old sharpshooter has been busy at these Games, winning gold in the opening relay before adding a silver in the 15km individual race and a bronze in the sprint.

On Wednesday she picked up another gold as France cruised to a dominant victory in the women's relay, and testing another discipline has boosted her spirits even further.

"It's already good to switch sports physically, it's something that does me good - but it's really, above all, for my mind. It's a bit like cutting out the background noise, stepping away from all the demands, and finding a more normal rhythm again," she said.

Jeanmonnot will have one more shot at an Olympic medal in Saturday's closing race, the women's mass start, but she revealed that there's another peak she's setting her sights on before the end of her sporting endeavours.

"It's beautiful here, but I don't get to enjoy it to the fullest, I'm not taking any risks, so I don't really go far up the mountains," she said.

"I'm not skilled enough to go to incredible spots. I appreciate the great snow and the great friends - everything else is secondary, but I still want to climb Mont Blanc before the end of my athletic career." REUTERS