The two tricolor skiers, real chances of medals on the free sprint, have been eliminated on Tuesday from the semi-finals of the competition.
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Four years later, it’s a huge disillusionment for Richard Jouve. Team bronze medalist with Mauritius Manifest in Pyeongchang, in 2018, the 27-year-old Briançonnais did not manage to qualify for the final free Sprint of the Beijing Olympic Games Tuesday, February 8. A test won easily by the Norwegian Johannes Klaebo, ultracominer on the bottom, which adds a fourth Olympic gold medal to his collection, just 25 years, in front of the Italian Federico Pellegrino (silver) and the Russian Alexander Terententev (bronze) .
In the Fleece Cold (-17 ° C) of the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Center – The France team has been recommended by Army Specialists on Cold Management – Richard Jouve, however, counted among the favorites of the individual test. In these races at six on a journey of 1.5 km, the founder of Méribel (Savoie), fourth time of the qualifications, has difficulty won his quarterfinal before closing to the photo-finish of a half-finish. Final particularly raised, with future champion and vice-champion Olympics.
Lucas Chanavat, the other chance of a tricolor medal, figured in the same sleeve and did not make illusion very long. As for Renaud Jay, third blue inscribed on this free sprint that was a great return to the games eight years after Sochi (Russia), he dropped at first from the last straight line of his quarterfinals.
“Have a little luck”
For French cross-country skiing, it’s a huge slap. Jouve and Chanavat accounted for two of the best chances of medals for French cross-country skiing. Very complicit off and on the slopes – to the point of not doing a low shots when they are opposed in the same race – they had arrived at the Beijing Olympics the inflated torso of ambitions. The goal was clear: beat the Legend Johannes Klaebo.
The two French founders had some arguments to argue. Respectively 2 e and 7 e in the ranking of the Sprint World Cup, Richard Jouve and Lucas Chanavat realized five podiums this winter, including a double (2 e and 3 e ) at the Lenzerheide stage in Switzerland on December 28, 2021.
In early February, Richard Jouve insured that there was no tactic to beat the Scandinavian, arrived in Beijing in the ultra favorite skin. “You have to be 100%, physically, at the equipment level, and have a little luck. The games, it’s a day races with a lot of pressure. He will be very expected,” he recalled then in Videoconferencing press.
For his part, Lucas Chanavat, specialist of skating (the free style of cross-country ski) wanted to believe in his lucky star. “This is a date that I have checked for a very long time, the Sprint Skate is my best chance of medal. If I arrive at 100% in the final, there will be a beautiful thing at the end.”
“At the summum of their careers”
Cyril Burdet, the sprint group coach of the France team, then showed confident, a few days from the competition. “He and Richard arrive at the summum of their careers and capabilities”. And to detail the qualities of its protégés, with very different ski styles: “Richard is very explosive and fast. Unlike a lucas, more in amplitude and strength and which seems visually clearing less speed but is amazing In the displacement. “
Tricolor’s cross-country skiing returned from South Korea four years ago with two bronze medals – sprint men and male relay -, its best performance at the Olympic Games. In China, he aims to do at least as well. Richard Jouve and Lucas Chanavat should be associated for team sprint, classic style, February 16th. The first will also have two other possibilities, earlier, to ride on a podium with the classic 15 km and the TEAM SPRINT. And with distance tests, the bottom blues still have some opportunities to redeem themselves.