For the last race of the Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto, Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet won bronze behind the untouchable Johannes Boe and Latvian Andrejs Rastorgujevs.
After making a 10/10 on the shot, the Franc-Comtois let his last ball escape on the third shot and left for third.
On the fourth and final shot, he was impeccable and came away nine seconds ahead of Rastorgujevs, enough to secure the bronze.
🇳🇴 Johannes Boe mass start world champion!
🥉🇫🇷 Quentin Fillon Maillet wins bronze behind Andrejs Rastorgujevs#lequipeBIATHLON pic.twitter.com/yCmV5ktFlS
— the L’Équipe channel (@lachainelequipe) February 18, 2024
With this result, he gave the French team its thirteenth medal in the competition, a record.
Earlier in the day, her compatriot Justine Braisaz-Bouchet won the women's mass start ahead of Lou Jeanmonnot, third.
The day before, the girls made history by winning the relay, a unique performance in French biathlon.
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“It’s a very hard race, I was feeling tired.
It's the fourth race in five days, especially since the last ones were in combat... So I'm very proud of this race, even if it's only third place.
But in the way I managed, I was an actor from start to finish, I am satisfied with this race, because it was war,” reacted the double Olympic champion from Beijing.
“What I like about biathlon are races like this”
With results at half mast since the start of the individual season, the bronze medalist is enjoying this third place.
“I invested a lot to find these sensations and to arrive here in physical shape.
The technical means for shooting were there, it was so good.
That's what I love about biathlon, it's races like this!
Four medals in these worlds (with the relays, editor's note) I would have easily signed when I arrived here,” he smiles.