Twenty-four hours after winning his third medal in as many races in China -gold in the individual, silver in the mixed relay and the sprint-, Quentin Fillon Maillet will have the opportunity on Sunday to write a page in the history of French winter sports.

The Jurassien is even "in a position to partly write history. Three medals in three races, it's just exceptional, with a gold medal in the middle. I still want to continue on this good momentum, to continue to medals. The form on the ski is super good, the mental form is very good for shooting. I am enjoying an exceptional season", he savored.

Legend of French biathlon, Martin Fourcade came home at best with three medals from an edition of the Games (two gold and one silver in 2014 in Sochi, three gold in 2018 in Pyeongchang), as did Anaïs Bescond (gold in the relay mixed and bronze in the pursuit and relay in 2018).

Fillon Maillet will have three opportunities to do better in quantity, and perhaps in quality, if his second part of the Olympic Games goes as well, especially physically, as the first, with the pursuit (Sunday), the relay (Tuesday) and the mass start (Friday).

The mano a mano between Fillon Maillet and Johannes Boe, hoped for this royal biathlon weekend, was launched on Saturday in the best way, with a small advantage for the Norwegian, even if both missed a target, so that the wind was much less strong than the first days of competition.

Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet, on the shooting range during the sprint (10 km) at the Beijing Olympics, February 12, 2022 at the national biathlon center in Zhangjiakou Jewel SAMAD AFP

"I don't know how Johannes felt today but I lacked a bit of energy. If I had done everything in shooting, it would have been close to get the gold medal," admitted the French, who was also a little lucky on his first two balls, with targets cleared to the limit.

"The best are even better"

This small fault of "QFM" will impose a delay of 25 seconds on Johannes Boe when starting the pursuit, which is done according to the order and with the gaps of the sprint.

The joy of French Quentin Fillon Maillet, 2nd in the sprint (10 km), alongside the Boe brothers, Johannes, Olympic champion, and Tarjei (3rd), at the Beijing Games, February 12, 2022 at the national biathlon center in Zhangjiakou Tobias SCHWARZ AFP

The French will then be supervised by the Boe brothers, since Tarjei took third place 38 seconds 9/10 behind his younger brother.

"We knew that Johannes was on his favorite race format. He was very present, of course. Quentin also had to digest this title on the individual. Confirmation is strong too! We can see it as the culmination of being champion Olympic and you have to be able to remobilize in three days", underlined the coach of the French biathletes, Vincent Vittoz.

Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Boe, during the sprint (10 km) at the Beijing Olympics, February 12, 2022 at the national biathlon center in Zhangjiakou Tobias SCHWARZ AFP

With the many demands, a consequence of his first title and the French delegation's first gold medal at the 2022 Olympics, the recovery, even if there were four days between the individual and the sprint, was a bit complicated.

But the form is still there on this site at altitude (1,700 m) which suits him perfectly, as evidenced by these eight seconds taken over Johannes Boe in the last loop, to return to 25 seconds and keep all his chances for the pursuit.

"We are clearly already on the race tomorrow (Sunday). We know that there is a new challenge. It does not necessarily pull very well but there are big gaps. There is the altitude, the snow, which makes the best even better," slipped Vittoz.

Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet, at the finish of the sprint (10 km) at the Beijing Olympics, on February 12, 2022 at the national biathlon center in Zhangjiakou Jewel SAMAD AFP

"You will have to race alone and wait for Johannes to open a door at some point and know, at that time, to take your chance," concluded the coach with the prospect of the chase.

© 2022 AFP