Fortunately Desthieux… The reigning Olympic champion in the mixed relay prevented the Norwegians from fully reigning over the individual from Östersund (Sweden) for the start of the season.
The race was indeed won by the Norwegian Laegreid, author of a 20/20 shooting, in front of his compatriot Tarjei Boe.
The other Boe, his younger brother Johannes, took fifth place.
“I'm very happy because I had a lot of doubts when I arrived here, relishes the world champion in the men's relay on the Équipe channel. I didn't really know where I was physically, the conditions were tricky with the wind. I make two small mistakes
(Editor's note: one on each prone shot)
but attacking like that feels good, especially since it was hard on the muscles. A 20 km is long and trying… Antonin
(Editor's note: Guigonnat, who waited for him on the last lap and finished 39th)
helped me a lot by giving me the trajectories and the aspiration to come back. "
🇫🇷 Yess!
A podium to launch the Biathlon season in Östersund!
Bravo @simondstx! 🥉👏🏼 @ quentinfillon finished 8th and @ fabien_claude1 11th! 💪🏼
Tomorrow is a sprint! #Allezlesbleus 🇫🇷
📸 Nordic Focus pic.twitter.com/xdZmEKKUhp
- FFS - French Ski Federation (@FedFranceSki) November 27, 2021
Among the other Blues, Quentin Fillon-Maillet finished eighth with some problems with heated gloves and Fabien Claude eleventh.
"I limited the damage but it bodes well for the future", summarizes the Vosges.
In search of benchmarks after a preparation disrupted by a fractured left wrist, Emilien Jacquelin had to be content with 35th place, with six missed targets.
“Six errors, but my skiing time is not bad, analyzes the Grenoblois. I tried to run my race 100%, that's what I want to put in place all year round even if it doesn't work. "Lucky Luke" will have to find the right balance between the rifle in hand and his natural speed and his work of patience undertaken last summer. “On the shooting range, I tried to be calmer and more poised but it costs me in terms of mental energy,” he continues. Technically, there is not much to review, but we have to put even more requirements. Since the start of the preparation, I have wanted to be more regular and it requires me to put my naturalness aside. We must not stop at the first failure, it is what will allow me to move forward in the years to come. On lying shots,my position requires a lot of mental effort and I pay for it on standing shooting by failing to raise my level of requirement. "
Next meeting this Sunday for the sprint.