The French finishes second in this endurance test (15 km) won by the German Denise Herrmann. Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeeland completes the podium.
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According to the formula dear to the old boss of the French Handball team, now at the head of the National Sport Agency (years), Claude Onesta: French Biathletes did not come to the Olympic Games of Beijing “to make tourism”. “We are not going to lie, we are here to look for medals,” Wednesday 2 February in press videoconference, Frédéric Jean, the coach of the female.
After the silver gleaned by the mixed relay, Saturday, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet has come to enrich the palmares of the Blues at the XXIV e Olympic Games, Monday 7 February, finishing second of the individual , Behind the old German smelter, Denise Herrmann. Norwegian Marte Roeeland completes the podium.
This endurance event, where every fault on the firing step does not accompaniment on the penalty ring, but a minute of disbursements at the chrono, kicked off the Four individual races played during the fortnight.
“Much more just conditions”
Far from the extreme conditions of recent days, it is under a slightly covered sky, more mild temperatures (- 9 ° C) and a much less capricious wind than the 89 committed athletes traveled 15 kilometers from the Trail de Zhangjiakou. “The conditions were much more righteous for everyone, will explain the neomedail after arrival. There was less wind, I did not have a cold fingers, not on the feet … it also helps to make good biathlon. “The format of the race, without direct confrontation, does not lend itself to the effusions of immediate joy: Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet had to wait long minutes to know the verdict of the day and, finally, celebrate with the supervision of the Blues.
The face of the French quickly found the smile. Disappointed by his performance at the mixed relay (five faults and a penalty tour), the 28-year-old biathlete had a good race. She was impressive behind the rifle (19/20) and especially printed a good tempo on the firing step, allowing him to compete with his competitors, faster on the skis. “The days do not follow each other in the way of doing things, but in the color of the medal yes, pleasant interested after the race. I was much more relaxed, everything came more naturally.”
It was harder for Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (15/20), Anaïs Bescond (16/20) and Julia Simon, who missed three bullets of his last shot (16/20). They finish respectively 40 e and 21 e of the event of the day.
The Swedish Hanna Öberg, the individual Olympic champion of the individual, and Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeeland, current leader of the World Cup and who has never conquered world title in individual, were favorite. But they spinned on the firing step: three faults for the first (16 e ); Two faults for the second.
“We get up”
Before departure, the blue kept the role of scarecrow: Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Anaïs Bescond, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet and Julia Simon are all in the world top 15. The quartet cumulates eleven podiums over the fifteen events played since the beginning of the season and it is also in this race format that the French recorded their only victory of this exercise 2021-2022: that of Justine Braisaz-Bouchet in Antholz -Anteseselva in Italy, at the end of January, accompanied on the podium by Julia Simon (2 e ).
“Over the last fifteen years, it is clearly the densest female team that we had”, made Stéphane Bouthiaux, the French boss of the French biathlon at the press conference last week. “We get up, then summed up Julia Simon. There we can all do a medal and it is encouraging to say that there is not one that is put forward. We are really four to be able to mount on a podium. “
The girls will have three opportunities to shine in solitary with the sprint on February 11, the pursuit on the 13th, and finally the mass start (departure group) on the 19th, which will close the Olympic fortnight and for which they are already all qualified … and who knows, maybe bring back to France a new individual Olympic title, more than fifteen years after his only coronation: that of Florence Florel-Robert sacred on the sprint in Turin, in 2006.