Anterselva (Italy) (AFP)
With two gold medals (Individual, relay) and one bronze (sprint), Martin Fourcade left his mark on the Biathlon Worlds in Anterselva, and it is with a free and calm spirit that he will now aim for a 8th big crystal globe before deciding on its future.
The scenario is currently unfolding perfectly for the French. At the start of the season, the five-time Olympic champion had carefully declined all questions concerning his future, anxious in the first place to succeed in his return to the top after a last nightmarish winter. Its spectacular rebirth from January (4 World Cup victories), reinforced by these World Championships, validated this roadmap.
Psychologically boosted and in a position of strength sportingly with a first place in the general classification, Fourcade, 31, has all the cards in hand to live a conclusion in the form of apotheosis. He only has three steps left (Nove Mesto, Kontiolahti, Oslo) to secure an 8th crown. It will then be time for him to reveal his intentions for the future.
The suspense is whole but it is difficult to see what the Frenchman, with a long record like his arm, could go for more by stretching his life as a biathlete for two more years.
In Anterselva, the Catalan filled two big gaps in his rich collection: he joined in the annals Ole-Einar Bjoerndalen with an 11th world title on an individual level and he finally won a gold medal with the French relay. If he could lift an 8th large crystal globe, he could bow out with his head held high.
- "Huge fight" -
Especially since his post-biathlon is already roughly traced with his role as president of the Athletes 'Commission of Paris-2024 and his candidacy for the IOC Athletes' Commission in 2022.
But for the moment, he is mainly focused on this promising end of the season which risks all the same to be eventful since his great rival Johannes Boe revived after his success during the mass start of the Worlds, Sunday. We must also count on his teammate Quentin Fillon-Maillet, 2nd in the race and his runner-up in the World Cup, which is far from having said his last word.
"It's going to be a big fight, said Fourcade. I said that Johannes Boe was still the general's favorite for me when he decided to take a break in January (due to paternity, editor's note). ends up with a 50/50 chance of winning because I have a small lead. It will be tight. If he wins all the races and I am 2nd all the time it may be enough. But he will not win everything and I won’t be second all the time. It’s not going to be played on that. We really need to develop a high level of performance. "
Stéphane Bouthiaux, the boss of French biathlon, is also convinced: it is "a huge fight" looming over the 8 events still on the program.
- Suspenseful -
"Martin is really, really keen on it and everything will be in place to get this globe," he explained. "The pitfall is Johannes who picks up a lot of points, there will be suspense until the last race."
With such a busy menu and a season so far extremely dense in terms of energy and emotions, it is not surprising that Fourcade wishes to postpone its decision-making about its future as far as possible. In the order of priorities of the moment, the big globe is clearly in first place.
"It is a more global reflection, which mixes the staff and the professional, which mixes the overall look on a career and the sensations of the moment," he said. I am happy that these successful Worlds advance the thinking in neither direction. I really don't know what I will do. I want to postpone as much as possible this decision which will be hard to take. It would be lying to say that I have no intuition but it really goes both ways. There are days when I can't see myself going on and others where I wouldn't stop for nothing in the world. "
© 2020 AFP