He was expected, he did not disappoint.
As often now with Quentin Fillon Maillet.
Hero of the recent Beijing Games, the brand new double Olympic champion held his rank this Saturday during the 10 km sprint in Kontiolahti, Finland.
His first solo race post-Beijing.
On Friday he took 3rd place in the relay with his partners from the France team.
But on Saturday QFM resumed its taulier costume and left no chance to its opponents.
He achieved, despite difficult wind conditions, a perfect 10 out of 10 on shots which made people forget his "problem with the bolt of [his] rifle" during the relay.
In silver during the sprint at the Beijing Games behind the Norwegian Johannes Boe, who decided to skip the end of the season, the new idol of French biathlon has established himself as the boss.
He is ahead of young Norwegian Filip Fjeld Andersen (22) by 18 seconds and German Johannes Kuehn by 30 seconds.
Émilien Jacquelin takes 6th place.
The biathlete with five Olympic medals in Beijing (two in gold and three in silver), signs his 14th success on the circuit in individual, the 6th this season.
IN BOSS!
🔟/🔟 for Quentin Fillon Maillet!#lequipeBIATHLON pic.twitter.com/r2B2Rt1f4z
— L'Équipe channel (@lachainelequipe) March 5, 2022
A performance that leaves his partner, Antonin Guigonnat, almost speechless: "he is impressive," he said on L'Équipe.
QFM makes a hell of a group shot.
This victory allows him to recover the red bib of the specialty in front of Sebastian Samuelsson and to advance serenely towards the big crystal globe of the discipline.
Six races from the verdicts, the child from Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux has, once the two worst results of the season have been taken out, 127 points ahead of the world rankings ahead of his compatriot Émilien Jacquelin.
"It looks perfect from the outside, but on my side I didn't feel any great sensations on my skis," said Quentin Fillon Maillet at the microphone of the L'Équipe channel.
I'm lucky on my standing shot because I have two balls that are not far from the edge.
I don't just see the final result but also the way to get there, I'm not satisfied with my race but I'm satisfied with the result… I'm still taking valuable points overall.
I wanted to continue on the beautiful dynamic of the Games, I'm super happy.
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The interested party also had a word and a thought for the absentees, including the Ukrainians.
"It's a special end to the season," he says.
It's sad not to compete against my opponents, like the Boe brothers.
I wish they were there…”
QFM, 29, will be able to increase his lead over his opponents on Sunday with the pursuit.
Third on the circuit for the last 3 seasons, he could become next Saturday the 4th Frenchman to win the big globe after Patrice Bailly-Salins in 1994, Raphaël Poirée in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 and Martin Fourcade from 2012 to 2018.
