Two years after the retirement of Martin Fourcade, France has found in its ranks a new undisputed boss of the discipline.

Nothing will have resisted this winter to the Jurassien, who left China with a historic Olympic harvest (5 podiums) before becoming the 4th French biathlete to finish an exercise in the position of world N.1 after Patrice Bailly-Salins (1994 ), Raphaël Poirée (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004) and the "king" Fourcade (from 2012 to 2018).

There was hardly any suspense before the disputed mass start at the Otepää site (Estonia).

Winner of the last three races, Fillon Maillet had a comfortable lead in the general classification over his runner-up and compatriot Emilien Jacquelin and it was enough for him to finish the race among the first 23 to be certain of being crowned.

Quentin Fillon Maillet, winner of the pursuit, concentrated during the standing shot in Kontiolahti on March 6, 2022. Vesa Moilanen Lehtikuva / AFP

A simple formality for the one who is nicknamed "the Morbac" for his ability to hang on at all costs and never give in.

QFM did not miss the boat (2nd behind the Norwegian Vetle Christiansen), logically succeeding the winners of the Norwegian Johannes Boe, triple holder of the trophy, while there are still three races on the program, next week in Oslo (18- March 20).

This title completes an exceptional season, marked by his five Olympic medals (two gold, three silver) and a total of eight World Cup victories where he outclassed all his rivals.

A sign of his relentless domination: in addition to the big crystal globe, Fillon Maillet also won the small pursuit globe and remains in the running to win those of the mass start and the sprint.

dream season

Long in the shadow of five-time Olympic champion Martin Fourcade then Johannes Boe, Fillon Maillet, world No.3 for the past three years, has suddenly taken on another dimension.

Before settling at the top of world biathlon this winter, he had won only six races on the circuit and had never been crowned individually in a major competition (Olympic Games, Worlds).

He amply made up for it by imposing himself at the age of 29 as the undisputed leader of the French team, making an impression at the Beijing Games (individual and pursuit titles, silver in the mixed relay, relay and sprint ).

He is only the third Frenchman to win five Olympic medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games, winter and summer combined, after archer Julien Brulé in 1920 in Antwerp, and fencer Roger Ducret in 1924 in Paris.

What measure the extent of his achievement.

Before this dream season, Fillon Maillet had always chased after glory without ever being able to touch it.

Often placed, but rarely a winner, the one who started on the major circuit in 2013 was only a solid soldier of the France group, without any real sparks, and had only tasted success in major events on the collective level ( two world titles in the relay in 2020 and in the mixed relay in 2016).

Doubts about him had grown stronger during a very frustrating 2020-2021 financial year.

Once King Fourcade's skis and rifle had been put away, Fillon Maillet had proclaimed loud and clear his ambition to fight for the general classification of the World Cup.

The final result (3rd) was clearly not up to his expectations.

To which we had to add the 2021 World Championships in Pokljuka with a bitter taste (a bronze medal in the mass start).

He also took revenge this year on the 2018 Olympics lived in very complicated mental conditions due to the health problems of his partner and the death of his stepfather just before the event.

His record in South Korea will be catastrophic (48th in the sprint, 44th in the pursuit, 29th in the mass start).

But Pyeongchang is nothing more than a bad memory for Fillon Maillet, now promoted to the rank of spearhead of all French winter sport.

© 2022 AFP