The French, brilliant in the exercise by teams since the beginning of the season, have finished sixth, Wednesday, the Olympic event, won by Sweden.
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After the sprint and the pursuit, who had fired at the debacle, French biathletes did not succeed in raising his head. Wednesday, February 16, the blue are placed next to their relay (4×6 km) at the Beijing Olympics, ending at 6 e place. Sweden has emerged before the Russian Olympic Committee and Germany.
The tricolores knew, however, that this event was their best chance to shine, they have monopolized the podiums on the World Cup since the beginning of the season – two victories and two third places. They had probably in mind this data: since the introduction of the Albertville Winter Games program in 1992 – on a 3×7.5 km – and title of Anne Briand, Véronique Claudel and Corinne Niogret, the French only missed three times the “box”. Four now.
The biathlon is a precision mechanics that the slightest disruptive element can come to stop. The conditions were nevertheless relatively favorable. Wednesday, the sun shone, the wind was blowing little. Above all, mercury fruited the – 15 ° C. Rather gentle with the glacial cold that has fallen in recent days on the mountains of Zhangjiakou, the competition site located about 200 kilometers north of Beijing, and who had forced the organizers to advance several hours the male relay, The day before.
“The balls!”
One of the relay keys is to avoid the penalty ring. Each biathlete passes twice on the shooting step – one lying and a standing – and has, in addition to the five usual bullets, the possibility of three jokers, called “draws” to whiten the targets. Each target that has not fallen at the end of these eight bullets is sanctioned with a 150-meter turn. It is therefore imperative to be solid behind the rifle.
On Wednesday, the machine has stopped. Anaïs Bescond launched the debates with the mission to keep the blue in contact with the best. With a single pick, the dean of the Tricolores passed the relay to Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet in fifth position and a dozen seconds behind the race head. This is where things bite. Under the impulse of his second relayer Mona Borson, Sweden, Vice-Olympic Champion in 2018, launched the offensive.
Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, she, went next to her shot lying: a penalty round. “It hurts me a little. There are three beautiful bullets and I can not put the last, will summarize the Olympic vice-champion of the individual on arrival. I reite a little what I lived on The mixed relay. “
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, third relayer, part in eighth position, with a disbursement of 1 minute 46 seconds. Fast on the skis, solid behind the rifle (two piping), it manages to reduce the gap to 1 min 16. From the last relayer, Julia Simon, the hopes, although a little crazy, were still allowed: She had made an impressive performance on the mixed relay on February 5, and made a crazy lift on the pursuit (part in 21 e position, she had finished 8 e of The race).
But after a perfect shot, the French splees his shot up and must make a penalty round. The chances of podium are definitely buried. “The balls!”, Launch Anaïs Bescond on arrival.
The “Norge” at the foot of the podium
The other surprise of the day came from Norway. Deprived of Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, a victim of discomfort during the pursuit, the “Norge” have suffered from the Tiril Eckhoff failure, the second relayer, tetanized on his standing shot (two towers of penalties).
Their leader, Marte Olsbu Roiesland, was not enough to put them back in the medal race: they must be content with the e place, at 13 seconds of the podium. For the first time since the beginning of the fortnight, the current leader of the World Cup will not go on the box.
Despite this new white day on the blue side, the Biathlon remains the safe value of the French delegation at the Beijing Olympics: six medals (two gold, four in silver) in nine races, nearly half of the Fourteen “Belloques” harvested by France, all disciplines, since the beginning of the fortnight. The girls will still have the Mass Start (Grouped Departure) from February 19 to bring their ecot to this impressive assessment.