Pokljuka (Slovenia) (AFP)
Frenchman Fabien Claude, whose father is one of five tourists missing in a snowmobile accident in Canada, took 3rd place in the Pokljuka Individual, counting for the Biathlon World Cup, won Thursday by the Norwegian Johannes Boe .
Absent from the last two stages due to paternity, Boe made a winning comeback ahead of Martin Fourcade, 2nd.
It was the first podium in his career for Claude, who dedicated, in tears, the first podium of his career to his father.
"There was a tragic accident in Canada for my father, explained Fabien Claude on the L'Equipe channel. This podium is for him, I am sure he is proud of us and I am proud of what I I did today. The goal was not necessarily the result, it was to pay a last tribute and do the best I could. "
Despite a month-long break, Boe, who holds the big crystal globe, quickly regained his good habits by signing his 6th success of the season, the 44th in his career. Author of a faultless rifle (20/20), the Norwegian (26 years old), who was at the top of the general classification before disappearing, thus won 6 of the 8 races in which he participated this winter.
Boe thus breaks the beautiful series of Fourcade, which had won the 4 events disputed since the beginning of the year without his great Norwegian rival. The Frenchman, also flawless in shooting (20/20), finished 11.4 seconds behind Boe but retained the lead in the World Cup. He probably lost a little time on the Norwegian by falling just after his 2nd passage on the launch pad.
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