The Ukrainian national team won its first medal at the 2025 Junior World Biathlon Championships.

The Ukrainian biathlon team won its first medal at the Junior World Championships held in Östersund, Sweden. Oleksandra Merkushyna finished in third place in the mass start. Swedish athlete Sara Andersson came in first, while French athlete Anaël Bondou took second place. Additionally, three other Ukrainian athletes also participated in the competition. Ksenia Prykhodko finished in ninth place, Olena Horodna in fifteenth place, and Tetyana Tarasyuk in thirty-second place.

Oleksandra Merkushyna became a two-time medalist in the mass start at the Junior World Championships. She had already won gold last year.

Mass start results for the senior age group at the 2025 Biathlon World Championships:

• 1. Sara Andersson (Sweden, 2+0+2+0) 28:33.0
• 2. Anaël Bondou (France, 2+0+0+0) +12.5

• 3. Oleksandra Merkushyna (Ukraine, 2+0+0+1) +17.2

• 4. Amandine Mengin (France, 2+1+2+2) +52.5
• 5. Anna Nezha-Kubinets (Poland, 1+2+0+1) +53.1
• 6. Anna Millinger (Austria, 0+2+1+0) +54.7
• ...

• 9. Ksenia Prykhodko (Ukraine, 0+1+1+1) +1:08.2

• 15. Olena Horodna (Ukraine, 0+1+4+1) +1:34.2

• 32. Tetyana Tarasyuk (Ukraine, 3+1+3+1) +3:28.7

This bronze medal became the first award for Ukraine at the 2025 Junior World Championships. Previously, the best result for the Ukrainian team was fifth place in the mixed relay.

The competition took place in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, from February 12 to 23.

The International Olympic Committee has called on winter sports federations to allow Russians and Belarusians to qualify for the 2026 Olympics.