Olympic Games 2022: Quentin Fillon Maillet, in silver in the biathlon sprint, puts the Blues back on track

It took Quentin Fillon Maillet to put an end to the two-day medal drought for the tricolor delegation at the Beijing Olympics. Already adorned with silver on February 5 with the mixed relaythen gold in the individual, on Tuesday, the boss of the French biathlon team added a new charm to his collection on Saturday February 12, ranking 2^and of the sprint, behind the Norwegian Johannes Boe – whose older brother, Tarjei, 3^andcompletes the podium.

Beijing 2022 Olympics: Quentin Fillon Maillet, finally at the top of the bill

The snowflakes that fell in the morning on the site of Zhangjiakou (180 km north of Beijing) stopped a few hours before the start of the race, giving way to a cloudy sky and a little wind. But nothing comparable, however, with the gusts during the mixed relay.

Still, things were not easy on the launch pad: only four of the 94 entered were refueled. Both Johannes Boe and “QFM” made a mistake. If the French impressed on skis in the individual, it was this time around from Norwegian to disgust its competitors with its speed.

“I don’t know how Johannes [Boe] felt today, but I lacked a bit of energy. If I had done everything in shooting, it would have been tight to get the gold medal., commented the Frenchman. Visibly a little disappointed with his performance of the day, he confided that the media and protocol solicitations, which had followed his coronation on Tuesday, had left him without energy.

Before tempering all the same: “A second place is already not bad at the Olympic Games. » Between them, the Jura and the Norwegian have won six medals and three titles since their arrival in China.

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Beyond victory, this 10 km race (7.5 kilometers for women) with only two shots (one lying, one standing), and where each fault is penalized with one lap on a penalty ring of 150 m, had a second challenge: that of positioning themselves for Sunday’s pursuit. Only the first 60 biathletes to cross the finish line can take part in this race, whose starting order and gaps are defined by the results of the sprint.

Revenge after his 72^and place in the individual (with seven shooting penalties), Emilien Jacquelin smiled again, because this Friday he had “the best sensations since the beginning of these Games”. He especially limited the breakage with two faults on the shooting range and only the 13^and ski time, finishing 9^and, 1 minute 5 behind Johannes Boe. He will be able to aim for the medal, Sunday, on the pursuit of which he is double world champion in title. Fabien Claude (8/10 shooting) is 21^and at 1:41; Simon Desthieux (8/10) finished 24th^and1 mi 44 from the Norwegian.

“We are in Zhangjiakou, not in Lourdes”

The day before, Les Bleues had experienced the opposite fate: the sprint, won by the Norwegian Marte Roeiseland ahead of the Swedish Elvira Öberg (2^and) and the Italian Dorothea Wierer (3^and), had turned into a nightmare for the French. Anaïs Bescond, the best placed, finished 9^and, more than a minute from the Olympic champion and current World Cup leader.

On the unusually lightly windy shooting range, you had to do a flawless shot to be on the day’s podium – the first five had filled up. In difficulty behind the rifle, the Blues mortgaged their chances of medals from the first lying shot – one fault each. On the standing shot, Anaïs Bescond was the only one to clear the five targets. Julia Simon and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet made two mistakes; Anais Chevalier-Bouchet, three.

On arrival, Julia Simon, 29^and, accuses nearly two minutes (1 min 56) of disbursements on Marte Roeiseland; Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, 48^and2 min 34. Their chances of getting on the “box” on Sunday during the pursuit seem very remote. “I’m not going to sell a dream with the gaps there are. We are in Zhangjiakou, not in Lourdes, there is no miracle”summarized Frédéric Jean, the coach of the French, the newspaper The Team.

Anaïs Bescond, on the other hand, can still hope for a medal. Seeking gold will be complicated, but the dean of the Blue will only leave about thirty seconds after Dorothea Wierer. At the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, “Nanasse” – his nickname – had made up for a delay of about fifty seconds to win the pursuit bronze.

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“There is a bit of frustration, but I’m happy anyway. It’s much better than on the individual “explained at the end of the sprint Anaïs Bescond, who had finished only 30^andMonday, with four shooting faults.

“I am placed for Sunday with girls around me who will go strong. It’s going to be good. Do I feel pressure because I will be the only Frenchwoman placed in pursuit? No. the girls may have missed out but we know their level. »

The Olympic vice-champion of the mixed relay and the individual event, Anaïs Boucher-Chevalier, meanwhile, finished too far to start the pursuit (68^and). But the 28-year-old Iséroise had already warned after his second silver medal on Monday : “Whatever happens now, my Games are successful. » Before specifying all the same that she did not want to “stop there”.

Les Bleues are particularly expected in the women’s relay on February 16, where they are among the big favorites. They total two wins and two third places in four outings this season in the World Cup.

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Aude Lasjaunias(Zhangjiakou (China), special correspondent)