Long behind, Norway won on Tuesday, following a last shot in which the Russians cracked.
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The French biathlon continues its harvest. The 4×7.5 km men’s relay won the silver medal on Tuesday February 15, following a test where a last breathless shot allowed Norway to win. Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Simon Desthieux and Quentin Fillon Maillet were in on the action from start to finish. France wins its 12th charm.
Long in the lead, the Russians finished third, following a last shot completely missed. Norwegians can say thank you to Johannes Boe. Started almost two minutes behind the Russians, Olympic sprint champion devoured his competitors on skis and proved to be imperial in shooting, allowing the last Norwegian torchbearer to leave alongside the French and Germans.
“It’s wonderful, we all did our job today. We mightn’t have dreamed of a better stint”reacted Fabien Claude at the microphone of France Télévisions.
For Fillon Maillet, this second place gives him a fifth medal in the Beijing Olympics, a feat. His rival, Johannes Boe, however, regains the lead in number of gold medals (three once morest two). The mass start on Friday (10 a.m.) will represent the final explanation between the two exceptional athletes.
“QFM” might even have some regrets. This relay, which seemed promised to Russia, was finally decided on the last shot standing, worthy of the greatest sports thrillers. In a group with Norway and Germany 50 seconds behind leader Eduard Latypov, the tricolor biathlon leader had the unexpected opportunity to win a third title in these Games. Latypov totally collapsed and went over the penalty ring. Fillon Maillet only partially took advantage of this, dropping two balls. The Norwegian Vetle Christiansen has filled up. Enough to upset a completely crazy scenario.
For Quentin Fillon Maillet, this fifth medal of these Winter Olympics (two in gold, three in silver) further cements his Beijing performance as one of the greatest in the history of French Olympism. However, the Jura had to fight to get a new podium. With the favorite sign hanging from the rifle, the Frenchman saw Christiansen and the German Philipp Nawrath make life difficult for him at the start of the last stint, refusing to make the slightest effort in this threesome for what seemed more than two places on the podium. Coming out fourth from the lying shot (a pickaxe), Fillon Maillet made the effort once more, confirming once once more that he was in the form of his life.
The current leader of the World Cup has completed a nice teamwork of the entire French relay. From Fabien Claude, author of an excellent first shot standing up to put his own in the lead wagon, to Emilien Jacquelin, also very good behind the rifle despite complicated conditions (-17° and still substantial wind), passing by Simon Desthieux, the four vertebrae of the tricolor column have fully fulfilled their function. The French men’s relay, however absent from the podium at the last two World Cup meetings this season, won its first Olympic medal since 2006 and the Turin Games.
It will be necessary to be wary of Norwegians, also at the height of the event. A time missing (1’52” from the lead following five of eight shots!), the Scandinavian relay owed its resounding return only to yet another feat by its locomotive Johannes Boe. The great nemesis of blue biathlon- blanc-rouge flew on skis, sticking nearly forty seconds on the slide to Simon Desthieux, 1’15” on the Russian Olympic Committee. Vetle Christiansen’s 5/5 final concluded this comeback in the best possible way. Like another promise of a breathtaking finish on the mass start on Friday.
