After two very delicate years, the French (Anaïs Bescond, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, Julia Simon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet) are finally picking up their heads and starting this Olympic season in the best possible way.

The day after a tricolor double on the pursuit podium (Anaïs Bescond 2nd, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet 3rd), they completely flew over the team event, thus putting an end to a very long scarcity on the collective level.

Faced with the Norwegian armada, world champion in the specialty, or the Swedes galvanized by the support of their public, the Blue performed a real demonstration, demonstrating a formidable efficiency on the shooting range, yet their heel of 'Achilles in recent months.

What to give ideas for the future, especially with a view to the Olympics.

With only four faults, it is indeed behind the rifle that they have built their success, an exercise on which their rivals have come up against.

This relay was thus unraveled shortly before the halfway point, a massacre among the other favorite nations on the shooting range, leaving France alone in front.

"The stars well aligned"

During the standing shot of the second relay runners, Norway (1 round), Italy (1 round) and Sweden (2 laps) turned on the penalty ring, allowing Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet to fly away.

Julia Simon (10/10 shooting), yet in great difficulty at the start of the season behind the rifle, then Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (9/10) then managed to maintain a very wide gap.

At the finish, Belarus (Iryna Leshchanka, Dzinara Alimbekava, Elena Kruchinkina, Hanna Sola) is relegated to 57.9 seconds and Sweden ((Linn Persson, Mona Brorsson, Elvira Oeberg, Hanna Oeberg) at 1:09 6 A hell of a chasm, which gave Justine Braisaz-Bouchet time to recover a French flag before crossing the line.

"It's great, it's been a long time since we won," said Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet.

"The 2nd stint was pivotal, my role was to skim so that there is more air for the girls who arrive afterwards, it went very well. It's not because we won the first stint that we will be Olympic champions, but it balances our hearts, it is good for everyone and it will give the team back strength ".

"It was a great teamwork, everyone did their job", explained Anaïs Bescond.

"It was clean, built from A to Z. All the stars were well aligned."

© 2021 AFP