Two weeks before the Beijing Olympics (February 4 to 20, 2022), the German Benedikt Doll shows that he is in good shape, winning the mass start in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy, while Antonin Guigonnat, first French finished at the foot of the podium and Quentin Fillon Maillet, leader in the general classification of the World Cup, limited the damage by ranking 8th.
If a clear round on the last shot allowed the German biathlete (18 out of 20) to escape in the last loop and win, the race was above all marked by the return to the fore of the Norwegian Johannes Boe, second from the mass start (17 out of 20 shooting), with a 2nd time on skis, when he completely relaxed in the last hectometres, the victory being won by Doll. In the hard way at the start of the season, despite a victory over the Grand-Bornand sprint in December, the triple holder of the big globe, impressive at the start of the race, regained freshness and will certainly be one of the biathletes to beat down in the Beijing Games.
“I’m happy with what I did, it was quite hard physically, reacts Antonin Guigonnat. I made two good shots lying down, in these wind conditions, it was not easy. Quentin Fillon-Maillet admits he is legitimately disappointed. “There were great things on the skis but I had trouble finding the energy to shoot, admits the Frenchman. In addition to mental fatigue, the wind did not help me. I’m disappointed, but not worried about the future. I am the leader of the World Cup, I have more requests and it is something that I had not taken into account. I’m going to have to find some freshness between now and the Games. »