It was on the wire that Quentin Fillon Maillet won the bronze medal on the mass-start, the final round of the World Championships in Pokljuka (Slovenia).
The Frenchman ranks third, behind the new wave of Norwegian biathlon, Sturla Holm Laegreid, four times titled in Slovenia, and Johannes Dale.
Gold medalist in pursuit last weekend, Emilien Jacquelin, meanwhile, passed through his race, crossing, in tears and totally disappointed, the finish line in 30th position, due in particular to a 0 / 5 in prone shooting.
After three "chocolate medals" during these Worlds, Quentin Fillon Maillet, leader of the French biathlon since the retirement of Martin Fourcade, has meanwhile won the 10th world medal of his career "with the guts", thanks in particular to a 5/5 on the last shot which allowed him to restart in the final loop and to come back on his opponents.
The Jurassian, however, had to wait long minutes to really savor, the Norwegian Johannes Boe, 6th at 33 seconds, having made a complaint for being stolen a place on the shooting range, which forced him to make a half -tour and made him lose about fifteen seconds.
He returned Quentin Fillon Maillet!
Mentally, the Frenchman made up the 10 seconds delay, there is more than a kilometer left to finally get a medal
Follow the race> https://t.co/tmTX1rJWhh #lequipeBIATHLON # pokljuka2021 pic.twitter.com/ptTKBN2dAQ
- the L'Équipe channel (@lachainelequipe) February 21, 2021
"I'm still happy, even if bronze isn't the color I wanted," said Quentin Fillon Maillet at the microphone of La Chaîne L'Equipe.
I hoped for better at these World Championships.
I've had a lot of criticism, even if it doesn't necessarily hit me ... I've made a lot of shooting mistakes, but I don't miss bullets on purpose!
So, it's far from being my best Worlds but it's a medal that counts.
»France leaves Slovenia with 7 medals, including 2 in gold.
However, far behind Norway, 14 medals, including 7 in gold.