A few days following winning the bronze medal in the 4×10 km relay, with Maurice Manificat and Clément Parisse, Richard Jouve and Hugo Lapalus, associated for the team sprint due to the surprise absence of Lucas Chanavat, might not compete with the best in the final. After placing second in their semi-final, contested in classic style, they finished seventh, 35 seconds behind Olympic champion Norway. Finland and Russia completed the podium.
First cross-country skier to set off, Hugo Lapalus was placed in last position in a grouped peloton, carried by a leading trio made up of Russia, Norway and Sweden, before his handover to Richard Jouve. The native of Briançon achieved an excellent second lap and threw his partner, who was in more difficulty throughout the race, into first position at the start of the third lap. A short-lived hope.
Richard Jouve, among the strongest on each of his passages, indeed attacked the last lap with a significant delay of 14 seconds on Finland, the provisional leader. Too important to hope for a comeback and snag a new medal in the event, four years following the bronze won with Maurice Manificat.
No miracle either for the French
Under an extreme temperature of -15 degrees, the French Mélissa Gal and Léna Quintin, engaged in the women’s event, did not manage to thwart the forecasts. They finished last very far from the Germans, Katharina Hennig and Victoria Carl, Olympic champions. Sweden, two seconds behind, and Russia, seven seconds behind, completed the podium. Disappointment for Finland, fourth.
For their first participation in the Olympic Games, the two athletes aged 22 and 23 were quickly taken down by their opponents, with more than 17 seconds behind the race leader, from the third relay pass. Fifth in their semi-final, they were fished out on time.
