This Sunday, January 12, it was time for relay formats at the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof in Germany. The French team has been on the podium twice.
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The mixed relay composed of Fabien Claude, Eric Perrot, Jeanne Richard, Lou Jeanmonnot started the race on a complicated note in shooting for Fabien Claude in difficulty with the standing shot.
Eric Perrot, second runner who started 37 seconds late, climbed the handicap on skis and thanks to his two shots. Norway is faltering in the meantime. France is again in the race 3rd behind Germany and Italy when Perrot passes the baton to Jeanne Richard.
Jeanne Richard ensures the prone shot. Germany, in front of its home crowd, stalls and takes two penalty laps. Standing, the young 22-year-old Frenchwoman makes the Norwegian Ingrid Tandrevold tremble. The two women set off again on skis. The end of this mixed relay promises to be breathtaking.
-Doubs biathlete Lou Jeanmonnot, winner the day before the pursuit, is the last Frenchwoman to start, 5 seconds behind Norway. She ensures 5 out of 5 in prone shooting like Sweden’s Elvira Oeberg. The two nations are neck and neck.
The standing shot seals the fate of this mixed relay. France advantage in shooting! Lou draws the bullets at an impressive speed. 7 seconds ahead of the Swede. We now have to hold on for the two kilometers of skiing, but very quickly Elvira Oeberg passes in front and wins this mixed relay with Sweden. Swedish final victory, ahead of France and Norway.
In the single mixed relay, Paula Botet from Vosges and Quentin Fillon Maillet from Jura took second place in the single mixed relay behind Finland.
The bright sun shining in Oberhof – a rare phenomenon – benefited the Finnish duo Suvi Minkkinen and Tero Seppala for their first victory in this non-Olympic event. The flawless performance of Quentin Fillon Maillet, winner of the sprint on Friday, on shot N.6 put his compatriot Paula Botet, also winner of the sprint on Thursday, in the best conditions for the last two laps, 3 seconds behind the Germans. At that time, the Finnish doublet was third at 12 seconds.
In the last shot standing, Paula Botet blanked all the targets with a pick ball. Suvi Minkkinen was flawless and left the shooting range 3 seconds ahead of Botet, who was unable to catch up with her. The German pair Selina Grotian – Justus Strelow finished third.
At the finish, the biathlete from Saint-Laurent in Grandvaux did not hide his joy at having won a podium with Paula Botet, winner of the sprint on Thursday. “Paula had a great race. She had a great biathlon that she knows how to do. This single mixed relay is a difficult format, even more so in Oberhof.”
