- Martin Fourcade announced his retirement after the last race of the season on Saturday
- We tell you about his career through his best moments
We feel a bit in the skin of Diderot facing the first page of his encyclopedia when writing the first lines of the great moments of the career of Martin Fourcade, will be taff. But we have time, since this damn coronavirus has canceled out everything that directly or indirectly affects sport. And then promised, we will keep only the best of the best, while the biathlon star announced Friday that he will retire.
When France discovered it
Martin Fourcade arrives at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games a bit on tiptoe and in the shadow of his brother, France's best medal chance. On the circuit for two years, Martin, 22, is then only a hope which we await revelation. She arrives at the best time: without the least podium in the World Cup so far, he smacks a silver medal in the mass-start of the Games. The birth of a champion. By crossing the line, he himself does not believe it.
France discovers a cool guy, as we said at the time, who immediately pays homage to his brother, a little less happy than him on these Olympics. "Simon, he's a hard worker. Without doubt the biggest hard worker of the World Cup, of French sport itself. When you live with him, you feel like you're a bit of a lazy man. He is passionate, he gives 500%. It helps me every day. There are days when he pushes me a little. And if I have this medal, it is thanks to him. "
Galvanized, Martin Fourcade will massacre the end of the season after the Games: three victories (his first therefore) in the World Cup and a rise to 5th place on the big globe, while the immense Vincent Desfrasnes announces his retirement. Marked by the moment, Fourcade then understands that he is now the boss.
When he started to sick everyone on the skis
After a 2011 season of progression (3rd in the World Cup), Fourcade snatched everything in 2012. If he still made mistakes in shooting, he was absolutely imperial on skis. Three titles at the Ruhpolding Worlds where he takes everyone out of his skis and the big globe. A title he will seek in an event at the end of the season, in Russia, by putting half a minute to all the competition.
When he became a rock star in Sochi (and a first photo finish for the story)
Fourcade continues to dominate the year in 2013 by winning all the big globes. But for biathlon, at least at the time, the real issue happens once every four years. It is as a big boss that he arrives in Sochi. And it started badly, with a failed sprint and a 6th place. But behind it is the masterpiece: he won his first Olympic title in the pursuit, before slamming the individual three days later. Huge regret, he is at a photo finish to triple with the mass-start, but bows to Svendsen - his great rival of the time - at the photo finish for four centimeters.
No problem, Fourcade becomes the most medal French athlete in the winter games. And a rock star in France. "I'm not going to cry because I was beaten in the 20 cm sprint by my biggest opponent in four years," he says.
When he made his masterpiece
Svendsen on the decline, no one can dispute anything to Martin Fourcade. He dominates his sport so much that it becomes embarrassing. Winner of the World Cup every year between 2012 and 2018, he produced his masterpiece in Oslo, at the 2016 Worlds. Four gold medals (three in individual, one in mixed relay) and one in silver in the mass-start, behind a certain Johannes Boe. Martin Fourcade is at its peak, but his biggest rival has just arrived on the circuit.
When he became the biggest of all time (and a second photo-finish for the story)
Here we are in South Korea, in Pyeongchang, at the 2018 Olympics. Martin Fourcade is still the best, but his margin on the competition has slightly diminished. This does not prevent him from leaving with two gold medals and becoming the most successful French athlete in Olympic history. Just that. He first won the chase before winning, in the sprint, the mass-start for a millionth of a second against the German Schempp, giving the history of French winter sport its greatest moment of grace. When he even believes he is beaten when crossing the line, Fourcade must wait several minutes before knowing that he is 0.018 seconds ahead of the German. Damn, we get the chills just thinking about it.
On the subject, we invite you to relive this last Olympic victory in a podcast.
When he came back from the dead
The 2019 season is hell for Fourcade. Physically diminished, he attended the takeover of Johannes Boe, now undoubtedly stronger. But even when Boe cracks, Martin can't do it. Zero victory in the World Cup, zero in the Worlds (not even a podium), white or black year, it's as you want. Close to retirement, Fourcade still decides to try his luck in 2020, just to leave on a failure. The renaissance will take place in two stages: first with its first World Cup victory in more than one in Ostersund, the day when French biathlon has marched on the rest of the world, with four blues in the first four places in the 'individual
A HISTORIC MARSEILLAISE!
1️⃣ Martin Fourcade 🇫🇷
2️⃣ Simon Desthieux 🇫🇷
3️⃣ Quentin Fillon Maillet 🇫🇷
4️⃣ Émilien Jacquelin 🇫🇷
A historic moment for French biathlon 😍 # lequipeBIATHLON pic.twitter.com/MUJn7Y5JV1
The second time was his world title in individual at Antholz, on February 19. His eleventh gold medal at the Worlds, and perhaps the hardest.
“My early career may have been too good for me to realize how difficult it was to win a medal. That one, I know all its difficulty, he explains on the set of the L'Equipe chain a few minutes after this coronation. I struggled last year, I suffered, I took a lot on me, he added then at a press conference. My body and mind were empty and I couldn't find the benchmarks that had made me a good sportsman. It was a big period of questioning, of doubt. I thought I couldn't come back. "
Bonus-track: When he made the clown on TV
Thanks to him, biathlon has become the new favorite sport of the French. While waiting to see if this fashion survives him (there is no reason, the succession is assured), Fourcade has delighted us on skis and outside. Remember this magnificent interpretation of Edouard Bear…
- Retirement
- Biathlon
- Martin fourcade
- Sport