At the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, the French had Raphaël Poirée as the engine of biathlon, then came Martin Fourcade, in the 2010s. Two legends and a hole in their list: the Olympic team title.

If Poirée twice climbed on the 3rd step of the podium in 2002 in Salt Lake City and in 2006 in Turin, Fourcade, titled with the mixed relay in 2018, has always failed with his male teammates to add one more medal to his five gold medals and two silver medals.

For his last at the Games, the Pyrenean had to settle for 5th place with Simon Desthieux, Emilien Jacquelin and Antonin Guigonnat, far from Sweden (three and a half minutes) in gold and Germany (more than a minute) in bronze.

Never Olympic champion with his friends in the men's relay, but world champion, in 2020 for his thirteenth and last planetary title.

A coronation which had made it easier for him to choose to stop at the end of the winter of 2020, the succession being assured.

Four years later, the situation has therefore changed a lot, but the Blues count in their rank Quentin Fillon Maillet, insatiable since his arrival in China, with two titles (individual and pursuit) and two silver medals (sprint and mixed relay) .

Simon Desthieux in action in the 10 km biathlon sprint of the Beijing Games, February 12, 2022 in Zhangjiakou Tobias SCHWARZ AFP / Archives

"I'm not going to stop as long as it works. The sequence of races is not easy when you succeed", underlined the French hero of the fortnight, taken by the protocol obligations (podium, press conference , anti-doping) which are the responsibility of the medalists.

"We still have a good stint to pick up with my teammates".

Sweden and Russia as referees

With Fabien Claude, Simon Desthieux, and Emilien Jacquelin, "QFM" has the opportunity to further complete its prize list, and to continue dreaming of a Grand Slam that only the Norwegian Ole Einar Björndalen managed to achieve in 2002 in Salt Lake City. (four titles for four races on the program).

The Norway of the brothers Johannes and Tarjei Boe, both already triple medalists in Beijing (two gold medals and one bronze for the younger Johannes, one of each metal for the elder Tarjei), will be the big favorites for the Olympic title. , which has not fallen into the hands of "Norge" since 2010 and Vancouver (Canada).

An eternity!

The brothers Johannes (left) and Tarjei Boe on the biathlon sprint podium at the Beijing Games, February 12, 2022 Tobias SCHWARZ AFP / Archives

The snow announced for the relay on Tuesday and the wind, which led the organizers to bring forward the start time by 2:30 a.m. (at 2:30 p.m. local time instead of 5:00 p.m.), could however reshuffle the cards.

Russia, under a neutral flag due to multiple doping scandals, or Sweden, will be the arbiters of this Franco-Norwegian duel.

The women's relay will also start on Wednesday in search of the podium, which the French have only missed three times since the start of the event at the Games, in 1992 in Albertville and the title of Anne Briand, Véronique Claudel and Corinne Niogret.

In 2018, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, Marie Dorin-Habert, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Anaïs Bescond returned from South Korea with bronze.

Since then, Marie Dorin-Habert has retired and it is Julia Simon who replaces her in this relay, candidate for the podium that they have always visited this winter in the World Cup (two victories and two third places).

© 2022 AFP