A first medal to launch these biathlon world championships. France took bronze in the mixed relay, the first race of these Worlds disputed on the track of Oberhof, in Germany, Wednesday afternoon. The tricolor quartet, made up of World Cup leader Julia Simon, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, Emilien Jacquelin and Quentin Fillon Maillet could not do anything against the Norway of Johannes Boe, already crowned champion Olympic discipline in Beijing, and to the Italians.
France, in silver in Beijing, was however off to a good start, and had taken the lead alongside Italy halfway through the race, after the women’s relays of Simon and Chevalier-Bouchet. But the Scandinavians, left behind after the first passage, returned to the Transalpine and the tricolors thanks to a very good relay from Sturla Laegreid
Fillon Maillet in trouble
And after a stint from Emilien Jacquelin disrupted by shooting faults, Quentin Fillon Maillet let the title chances slip away with a lying shot marked by three faults before taking the wrong lane in the final stretch where Boe had won. alone. An error fortunately without consequence for “QFM” and the tricolors.
The biathletes will now turn to the individual events of these Worlds. Place now in the women’s sprint on Friday, where Julia Simon can aim for gold given her form, then in the men’s on Saturday, where the Blues will try to resist the Norwegian armada.