France dominates Norway and wins the men's relay

With Emilien Jacquelin, “it never happens normally”. These are the words spoken by the main person, second in the pursuit on Saturday December 14 in Hochfilzen, Austria, after his unexpected fall in the last kilometers of the race.

On Sunday, the 29-year-old Frenchman did not give up to offer victory to the French team, ahead of Norway during the men's relay (4 x 7.5 km). Sweden, left behind, completes the podium.

Positioned in last position in the relay made up of Fabien Claude, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Eric Perrot, Emilien Jacquelin knew that the task promised to be difficult against the Norwegian Vebjoern Soerum. Especially since the two men were separated by less than a second, after the three previous relays and an irresistible comeback from the five-time Olympic champion Johannes Boe.

Emilien « Lucky Luke » Jacquelin

But the winner of the 10 km sprint in Kontiolahti (Finland) likes suspense. From the start of his relay, Emilien Jacquelin caused concern, by checking the bindings of his skis several times and by discussing with the members of his technical team.

Then, during the first prone shot, he missed two targets, letting his competitor slip away to victory. Everything seemed to have been decided. That was without counting on its sparkling shape on skis. The Frenchman, double world pursuit champion, about a hundred meters behind, arrived less than ten seconds late on the last standing shot.

Thanks to a quick execution, Emilien “Lucky Luke” Jacquelin took advantage of Vebjoern Soerum's setbacks on the last shot to leave with a comfortable lead. Never worried in his last lap, he offered the French men's team its second success of the season, after that obtained during the first stage of the World Cup in Kontiolahti (Finland), on 1^is December.

Far from this race between the two best teams in the world, Sweden completes the podium in front of an astonishing Slovenian team, long in the running for the best places.

Among the women, it was the Germans who won the relay, thus ending more than three years of waiting. They beat the French, reigning world champions, and the Swedes.

The next World Cup stage, scheduled for Le Grand Bornand (Haute-Savoie) from December 19 to 22, will be without the French relays – no collective race is scheduled there.