{{Short description|French-Belgian biathlete (born 2002)}} {{Infobox biathlete | name = Maya Cloetens | image = Cloetens M. – Biathlon WCh 2024 Nove Mesto 2152.jpg | image_size = 260 | alt = | caption = Cloetens in 2024 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = | full_name = | nickname = | nationality = | citizenship = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|01|08|df=y}} | birth_place = Grenoble, France | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = | years_active = | height = | weight = | website = | disciplines = Biathlon | club = | skis = | rifle = | ecdebut = | icdebut = 2022 | wcdebut = 2023 | retired = | olympicteams = | olympicmedals = | olympicgolds = | paralympicteams = | paralympicmedals = | paralympicgolds = | worldsteams = '''2''' (2023, 2024) | worldsmedals = | worldsgolds = | wcseasons = '''2''' (2022/23-) | wcraces = | wcraceswithrelays = | wcwins = | wcrelayswins = | wcpodiums = | wcrelayspodiums = | wcoveralls = | wctitles = | ecseasons = '''2''' (2022/23-) | ecraces = | ecraceswithrelays = | ecwins = | ecrelayswins = | ecpodiums = | ecrelayspodiums = | ecoveralls = | ectitles = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's biathlon}} {{MedalCountry|{{FRA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Youth World Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2021 Obertilliach|3 × 6 km relay}} }}
'''Maya Cloetens''' (born 8 January 2002) is a French-born Belgian biathlete. She has competed in the Biathlon World Cup since 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.realbiathlon.com/athletes.html?ibuId=BTFRA20801200201|title=Athlete Statistics - real biathlon|website=www.realbiathlon.com}}</ref>
== Career == Maya Cloeten's first international races took place at the 2019 Olympic Youth Festival in Sarajevo, where she won the silver medal with the mixed relay team. The following year, she participated in the Biathlon Junior World Championships 2020 in Lenzerheide, achieving her best result as fifth in the sprint and with the relay team. In the subsequent year, she competed in the Youth World Championships again, repeating her sprint performance from 2020, but the relay team, including Cloetens, significantly improved, securing victory with Fany Bertrand and Jeanne Richard. After a year without international tournament participation, she won the French U-23 individual championship in March 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nordicmag.info/biathlon-premanon-les-titres-de-la-poursuite-pour-maya-cloetens-et-anaelle-bondoux-0213/|title=Biathlon | Prémanon : les titres de la poursuite pour Maya Cloetens et Anaëlle Bondoux | Nordic Mag | N°1 Biathlon | Ski nordique|date=February 13, 2022}}</ref>
Shortly after winning the national title, the French association expelled Cloetens from the team due to a "lack of perspective," denying her support. As she also holds Belgian citizenship due to family ties, she decided to represent Belgium in the future. Unlike naturalization, she did not face a multi-year suspension.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nordicmag.info/biathlon-pourquoi-maya-cloetens-a-decide-de-prendre-la-nationalite-sportive-belge-0628/|title=Biathlon : pourquoi Maya Cloetens a décidé de prendre la nationalité sportive belge | Nordic Mag | N°1 Biathlon | Ski nordique|date=June 28, 2022}}</ref> Her initial competitions for the new nation occurred at the French Summer Championships on roller skis in September. With the exception of Lotte Lie, there were no other female athletes in the Belgian national team, leading Cloetens to participate immediately in the IBU Cup in the winter of 2022/23, achieving three top-30 results. In the Junior Cup in December, she dominated with four podium finishes, although she did not win any races, initially leading the rankings.
In January 2023, Cloetens made her World Cup debut at Pokljuka, finishing 43rd and 42nd in the sprint and pursuit, respectively, coming close to earning World Cup points. Despite a severe fall by Thierry Langer in the mixed relay, she, along with Lotte Lie and Florent Claude, secured tenth place. The Belgian athlete also participated in the World Championships in her debut year, finishing 38th and 40th in the sprint and pursuit. However, as of 2023, World Championship results no longer contribute to World Cup rankings, and she did not receive points for her performance. The Junior World Championships were disappointing, but at the end of the season, Cloetens earned her first World Cup points by finishing 36th in the sprint race in Oslo.
== Personal life == Cloetens originates from Grenoble and was born in France, initially representing the French Ski Federation. As her father is from Flanders, she holds dual French-Belgian citizenship since birth. Currently, she is pursuing studies in Civil Engineering in her hometown of Grenoble. Cloetens is a left-handed shooter.
==Biathlon results== All results are sourced from the International Biathlon Union.
===Olympic Games=== ''0 medals'' {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- " !Event !style="width:70px;"|Individual !style="width:70px;"|Sprint !style="width:70px;"|Pursuit !style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Mass start}} !style="width:70px;"|Relay !style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Mixed relay}} |- |align=left |{{flagicon|Italy}} 2026 Milano Cortina |33rd |26th |37th |— |13th |18th |}
===World Championships=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;" |- !Event !style="width:70px;"|Individual !style="width:70px;"|Sprint !style="width:70px;"|Pursuit !style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Mass start}} !style="width:70px;"|Relay !style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Mixed relay}} !style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Single mixed relay}} |- ! colspan=8|Representing {{BEL}} |- | align=left |{{flagicon|GER}} 2023 Oberhof | — | 38th | 40th | — | — | 14th | — |- | align=left |{{flagicon|CZE}} 2024 Nové Město na Moravě | 33rd | 55th | 41st | — | 14th | 8th | — |- | align="left" |{{flagicon|SUI}} 2025 Lenzerheide | 37th | 8th | 17th | 14th | 13th | 10th | — |}
===Youth and Junior World Championships=== ''3 medals (3 bronzes)'' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:160px;"|Year ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"| Age ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| Individual ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| Sprint ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| Pursuit ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| Relay |- ! colspan=6|Representing {{FRA}} |- | align=left |{{flagicon|SUI}} 2020 Lenzerheide | ''18'' | 23rd | 5th | 27th | 5th |- | align=left |{{flagicon|AUT}} 2021 Obertilliach | ''19'' | 7th | 5th | 17th | style="background:gold"| '''Gold''' |- ! colspan=6|Representing {{BEL}} |- | align=left |{{flagicon|KAZ}} 2023 Shchuchinsk | ''21'' | 16th | 12th | 21st | 16th |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}} * [https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/athlete-details/40921 Maya Cloetens] at Milano Cortina 2026 * {{Instagram}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cloetens, Maya}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:Belgian female biathletes Category:French female biathletes Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Category:Sportspeople from Grenoble Category:21st-century French sportswomen Category:21st-century Belgian sportswomen Category:Olympic biathletes for Belgium Category:Biathletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics Category:Belgian people of French descent Category:French people of Belgian descent