“And one, and two, and three zeros!” », seemed to mime Emilien Jacquelin with his hand as he crossed the finish line of the relay (4 × 7.5 km) in Ruhpolding (Germany), Friday January 17. Who can stop the series of victories of French biathletes this winter? The French men's team won in the Bavarian Alps, its third victory in a row in as many races since the start of the Biathlon World Cup season.
The Claude brothers (Emilien, relay novice, and Fabien), Quentin Fillon Maillet and Emilien Jacquelin, last relay runner, outperformed their Swedish and German rivals, ultimately relegated to second and third places, more than 38 seconds behind and almost one minute from the winners.
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With only two races still on the program, it is difficult to see which selection could prevent the Blues from lifting at the end of winter the small crystal globe of the relay rewarding the best team in the general classification of the specialty. With 270 points, they are ahead of the Norwegians and the Swedes, tied in second place with 205 points (a victory brings 90).
Friday, Simon Fourcade's men were diligent both on the shooting range (6 picks, catch-up balls) and on the track (4e ski time), passing almost every relay in the lead. The French trip on Bavarian soil was certainly made easier by the poor performances of their main Norwegian, Swedish and even German adversaries, who were not very successful behind the rifle. Only fourth, Johannes Boe and his teammates visited the penalty ring three times, a crippling performance for victory.
Success of the Simon Fourcade method
But the good results of the Tricolores on a collective level are also the consequence of those recorded on an individual level since the start of the World Cup season. Since the inaugural stage in Kontiolahti (Finland), at the beginning of November 2024, French biathletes have climbed to the highest step of the podium three times in eleven races (Emilien Jacquelin, Eric Perrot and Quentin Fillon Maillet), even signing a hat-trick not seen since almost five years during the sprint in Oberhof (Germany), on January 10 – the Norwegians claimed the other victories.
-At mid-season, four French people are among the top 10 in the general World Cup rankings. Emilien Jacquelin, current third, was the only Habs to have entered the Top 10 at the end of the 2023-2024 season, outrageously dominated by the Norwegians.
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The good results of French biathletes can also be put to the credit of Simon Fourcade, the director of the French men's team, who succeeded, at the end of winter 2022-2023, former cross-country skier Vincent Vittoz. Relations between the latter and the team executives ended up deteriorating.
Simon Fourcade, a former biathlete, who until then supervised the French juniors, took a year to find his feet with the boys with whom he sometimes ran. After a winter of 2023-2024 lacking in number of successes and even podiums in the World Cup – which only took shape at the very end of the season, during the North American tour – the older brother (40 years old) of six-time Olympic champion Martin Fourcade seems to have found the right words to put the Blues back on the path to victory. This bodes well less than a month before the World Championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), from February 12 to 23.
