With four medals, two in gold and two in bronze, the French biathlon presents a record "less flamboyant" than often "but very correct", summarizes its director Stéphane Bouthiaux.

Both at the 2022 Olympics and at the 2021 Worlds, he had won seven medals, including two gold in Beijing, three in Pokljuka (Slovenia).

Only two nations have done (much) better than France in the Thuringian Forest: Norway, carried by the hair-raising Johannes Boe, with thirteen medals, including five in gold (all with Boe), and Sweden of the duo Hanna Oeberg / Sebastian Samuelsson, with eleven medals, including three gold.

The evidence is that it gets stuck on the men's side, as since the beginning of winter, despite the trompe-l'oeil gold in relay of the quartet Antonin Guigonnat, Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin and Quentin Fillon Maillet.

The French relay (from left to right Quentin Fillon Maillet, Emilien Jacquelin, Fabien Claude and Antoine Guigonnat), world champion, in Oberhof, on February 18, 2023 © CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

For the first time in fourteen years, then the first Worlds of Martin Fourcade, twenty years old at the time, the Blues did not climb on the slightest individual male podium.

These are "Worlds like the season", during which they only climbed on four podiums (one for "QFM", three for Jacquelin), compares Bouthiaux.

“Obviously mistakes”

"We will have to take the time to debrief in the spring so as not to make the same mistakes, because there have inevitably been mistakes made, collective or individual, for us to find ourselves in a situation like this" , he continues.

French biathlete Quentin Fillon Maillet, at the finish of the sprint event during the Oberhof Worlds, February 11, 2023 © Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP

Beyond that, "the boys' sector is a little in difficulty, recognizes the boss of French biathlon. We do not see the future star of tomorrow pointing at the moment. But we are working."

At Oberhof, only Fillon Maillet, fourth in the individual and sixth in the mass start, really approached the podium.

In the case of the five-time Olympic medalist in 2022 and holder of the big crystal globe of the World Cup, a track is essential for Bouthiaux.

"Quentin picked up much too quickly. He was exhausted after the (Olympic) season, he didn't recover enough and he attacked again as if nothing had happened. He dragged a latent fatigue all season long", explains- he.

"There is something that broke after the Olympics and the big season last year," agrees QFM.

Jacquelin, double world champion coming out of the pursuit, did not even take the start, relegated too far after the sprint: 36th, 32nd and 20th in his three individual races, overtaken by his emotional demons, he is heading towards pause.

Simon assumed his status

"I'm not going to tell you everything that's going on in my head, it's going to scare you! Says Jacquelin. But at some point, you have to ask yourself the right questions. Isn't it not better to rest to return to my real level and play in front?

"We are going to ask him to make a long and beautiful break so that he returns to the full capacity of his means. Because this season, it is the shadow of himself", slice Bouthiaux.

Simon leaves Oberhof with a smile.

Arriving with the yellow bib of the best biathlete of the winter, a brand new status for her, the 26-year-old from Savoy held her rank by offering herself a first title of world champion in individual, in pursuit, and a second medal. , bronze, in mass start (plus bronze in mixed relay).

“She has completely assumed her status,” congratulates Les Bleues coach Cyril Burdet.

French biathlete Julia Simon, pursuit world champion in Oberhof, February 12, 2023 © Christof STACHE / AFP

Simon did not come out of the top 10 individually (10th in the sprint at worst), and in total, the French women obtained eight top 10s with four different biathletes (Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, Lou Jeanmonnot and Sophie Chauveau in addition to Simon).

"It's a team in full construction and in full progress", appreciates Bouthiaux.

One regret, however, for Les Bleues: the relay ended at the foot of the podium when they legitimately dreamed of a first world title.

© 2023 AFP