Oberhof – Quentin Fillon Maillet and Paula Botet take second place in the mixed relay

A podium to kick off the day. Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Paula Botet led the French team to 2nd place in the Oberhof single mixed relay after a solid shooting race (8 picks) but they had to lose to Finland with a Suvi Minkkinen untouchable this Sunday. This is the very first Finnish victory in the discipline. Germany completes the podium (+23”0) while Norway had to settle for 8th place (+1’16”9), penalized by a faulty shot (4 laps and 13 picks).

It is paradoxical, having nothing to reproach itself for, but France may have regrets. In the single mixed relay at Oberhof, France saw its usual opponents, Norway and Germany, fail in turn. The first, led by Vebjorn Soerum and Karoline Knotten, turned twice from the first pass on the shot, symbol of a catastrophic relay facing the target (4 turns and 13 picks) ending far from the podium (8th, +1 ’16”9). The Germans were in the race for a long time before cracking at the last shot standing, Grotian letting the victory slip away but nevertheless securing a fine podium at home.

France then seemed on paper to have a highway to victory but Quentin Fillon Maillet and, above all, Paula Botet were unable to do anything against Finland’s Tero Seppala and an exceptional Suvi Minkkinen. Although quite solid on the shooting range (8 picks), the French were also unable to benefit from sufficient sliding (4th and 5th ski time for Fillon Maillet), despite the efforts of the winner of the sprint (best ski time of his first relay). By taking over for the 4th and final time, France thought it would find itself in a duel with Germany but Botet’s two picks (and Grotian’s three) allowed Finland to completely reverse the trend.

The Frenchwoman didn’t give up, coming back for the first time before the standing shot, to put pressure on the Finn but Minkkinen was again on target (20/21 on the shot), coming out with 3”1 d advance on the Habs. Faster than 5th overall in the World Cup, Botet tried everything to get back together, hoping to come back thanks to the sliding like in the round before but, this time, Minkkinen had enough left to resist the Tricolores, and offer a historic success for Finland. The Blues are content with a nice podium before, why not, dreaming of success in the mixed relay. It’s not Finland that will stop them this time.