Quentin Fillon Maillet believed for a long time to win his first world coronation in individual. This Saturday, at the World Championships in Antholz-Anterselva (Italy), the Frenchman occupied the leader's chair for long minutes.
Author of a big race, with the best ski time, the 27-year-old biathlete finally saw Aleksandr Loginov take away the gold medal (+ 6.5 ''). Leaving with the bib, the Russian made a faultless shooting, unlike Fillon Maillet (1 fault). Loginov, who had been suspended for two years in 2014 for a positive EPO test, won his first world title.
Behind the Russian and Quentin Fillon Maillet, Martin Fourcade completes the podium (+ 19''5). The two Frenchmen in form thus open the hunting table of the tricolor clan. Because the sky remained blocked for the team of France during these World Championships, after the failures on the mixed relay (Thursday) and the female sprint (Friday). The Frenchman Emilien Jacquelin also obtained a nice 6th place. Simon Desthieux, last Blue, finished 15th. The French will be placed for the pursuit on Sunday (3.15 p.m.).
HISTORY 🥈🥉🏆 @quentinfillon is VICE WORLD CHAMPION 2020 from #Sprint to @biathlonantholz & @martinfkde is in BRONZE 🥳🥳
The first duo 🇫🇷 in history to climb together on a podium at the #biathlon Worlds
Proud of our 🔵⚪🔴
📸 Zoom Agency pic.twitter.com/FyR9wC5ZLp
Third last year in the sprint, Quentin Fillon Maillet just missed gold. However, he achieved a supersonic end of race. At the end of the second shot, the Habs were neck and neck with the Norwegian Johannes Boe, holder of the sprint title. When crossing the finish line, the 27-year-old Frenchman was 17 seconds ahead. Author of a victory this season in the World Cup, the Jurassic still hangs his seventh world medal.
26th world medal for Fourcade
Having left shortly after his tricolor, Martin Fourcade also completed a top flight race. Doing nothing wrong on the launch pad, the Catalan dropped seconds on the skis. On arrival, the 31-year-old athlete was three and four seconds ahead of the Boe brothers, Tarjei and Johannes (4th and 5th). Leaving empty-handed from the Worlds in 2019, Fourcade is already winning a medal this year, the 26th of his rich career (eleven titles).
On the podium, Alexander Loginov therefore has two Frenchmen by his side. This image recalls that of the 2017 Worlds, where the mixed French and Russian relays won a medal. The biathletes of the two nations then fell out against a background of doping. Anton Shipulin had refused to shake hands with Martin Fourcade at the time of the podium. The Frenchman then wanted to leave the podium in protest. The Loginov case, which had just returned from suspension, was at the heart of the matter. Fourcade and Loginov shook hands this Saturday…