Having become a double Olympic champion (individual and pursuit) and a total of five medalists at the Olympic Games-2022 in February, assured since last Saturday of finishing for the first time at the top of the general classification of the World Cup, Fillon Maillet, almost unstoppable from Beijing, is still not satisfied.

"There are a lot of people who tell me: + We're going to party tonight +, but in my opinion, not necessarily, because there are still things to look for until the end of the season", warned he last week at the microphone of the L'Equipe channel, the big globe freshly pocketed.

"I want to do things until the end and not finish averagely. Until the last race of the season in the World Cup, I will be present and 100%. I will not give up until the end" , insisted the 29-year-old from the Jura.

To the large crystal globe and the small pursuit, the new boss of French biathlon wants to add those of the sprint and the mass start.

"Even better in the future"

For the first, he is arch-favorite, since he has 56 points ahead of his closest pursuer, the Swede Sebastian Samuelsson (the victory is worth 60), before the last sprint scheduled for Friday afternoon.

For the second, he is only 15 points ahead of the Norwegian Vetle Christiansen and 19 over the German Benedikt Doll, but a third place would be enough for him on Sunday.

Beyond this final meeting of the season, "QFM" is already looking further ahead.

"I'm getting close to perfection and I hope I'll be even better in the future. There are quite a few athletes who have had huge seasons and have gone down after. I hope I will continue to improve and improve. improve myself to have such great seasons", he projects.

This Norwegian stage will also be the last in the career of Simon Desthieux, who, at the age of 30, decided to put his skis and rifle away.

Simon Desthieux, present at the Beijing winter on February 15, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, will bow out in Oslo Odd ANDERSEN AFP / Archives

On the women's side, the big globe has not yet been awarded.

It is the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeiseland (31 years old), also five times medalist in Beijing, including three times in gold, the best placed to afford it.

Before the last three races, she is 82 points ahead of Sweden's Elvira Oeberg.

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The program

Friday: women's sprint at 1:15 p.m. and men's sprint at 3:50 p.m.

Saturday: women's pursuit at 12:50 p.m. and men's pursuit at 3:00 p.m.

Sunday: women's mass start at 12:50 p.m. and men's mass start at 3:00 p.m.

© 2022 AFP