December has arrived and with it, white sports are in full swing. The biathlon resumed in Kontiolahti in Finland, Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1. A return that smiled on the Blues. Winter also often rhymes with international handball competitions, a sport where the tricolor flag is often in the spotlight. At the same time, Ligue 1 continues its course while the Formula 1 season is in its twilight… Franceinfo: sport looks back for you on the highlights of the sports weekend.
Ligue 1: OM wins the clash against Monaco, PSG slowed down
The Sunday evening poster was tempting with a first-rate duel between the 2nd and 3rd in the championship. She did not disappoint. In a committed and intense match, it was Marseille who ended up taking the upper hand in the 89th minute from the penalty spot (2-1) punctuating a benchmark match for OM, who have been struggling so far at home. A success which allows the Olympians to take the place of runner-up from the ASM.
The Marseillais also gleaned two points in Paris, held in check by Nantes the day before (1-1). Clearly dominant, with record ball possession in Ligue 1 (84%), the Parisians lost two points due to a lack of realism and efficiency in the opposing area. A constant for Luis Enrique's team since the start of the season. The great operation is to the credit of Lyon. Winners 4-1 in Nice, Les Gones are fifth, one point behind Lille, and remain in eight games without defeat in the elite since their 3-2 loss against Marseille on September 22.
Biathlon: French relays launch the season with four podiums in four races
The French biathlon team has been in good shape since the start of the season. Sunday's men's relay marked the first French victory of the year. Fabien Claude, Quentin Fillon Maillet, Eric Perrot and Emilien Jacquelin led the race from start to finish and got the better of the Boe brothers in Norway.
The French women were able to imitate their male counterparts in their relay, but victory eluded Julia Simon, the last relay runner. In the last lap, the Savoyard missed her last shot, and suffering from calf cramps had to settle for second place, behind Sweden.
The day before, the French had already appeared on all the podiums. In the single mixed relay, with Quentin Fillon Maillet and Julia Simon, the Blues took second place behind the Swedes. In the mixed relay, Emilien Jacquelin was joined and overtaken in the last meters by the Norwegian Vebjoern Soerum.
Skiing: a few seconds from a 100th victory, Mikaela Shiffrin falls
Ski enthusiasts had marked this weekend as a milestone, impatient to see Mikaela Shiffrin achieve her 100th World Cup victory. All the ingredients were there for the American to reach this historic milestone, unprecedented in the history of skiing, in front of her audience in Killington, Vermont (United States). At 29, the skier should have had two ideal opportunities to achieve this feat, in her favorite disciplines: giant and slalom.
Leader after the first round of the giant on Saturday, Shiffrin fell suddenly at the end of the second round. Not up for Sunday's slalom, Shiffrin suffers from a “severe muscle injury” and a “deep” wound on the right side of the abdomen. However, the rest of his season is not in question for the moment.
F1: Ferrari closes in on McLaren in constructors' title battle
The world champion title having already been awarded to Max Verstappen (Red Bull), the challenge is mainly around the constructors' title for this end of the season. But the Dutchman still remains hungry for success. During the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, the Red Bull driver once again demonstrated his superiority. From the start, he took the lead. Despite the pressure exerted by Lando Norris, penalized at the end of the Grand Prix, Verstappen retained his first place until the end.
In the constructors' standings, Red Bull is now out of the race, too late to hope to win the title. Only McLaren and Ferrari can still compete for it. Thanks to Charles Leclerc's second place and Carlos Sainz's 6th place, the Italian team is within 21 points of the British. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the season next week, will be the judge of the peace.
Handball: Les Bleues qualified for the main round of the Euro
Two matches won and a ticket already won for the main round of the Euro. Already at the head of the group after their great success against Poland (35-22), the French handball players won on Saturday against Spain during the second match (24-22), including the 300th achievement of Chloé Valentini in the jersey tricolor. This Monday, they will play against Portugal (8:30 p.m.) to conclude the preliminary round.
