Olympic Games 2026: Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot make history
Never since the format was introduced in 1968 had the French biathlon team won a men’s relay at the Olympic Games. That was until Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Eric Perrot won gold at the 2026 Olympics in Milan/Cortina (Italy) on Tuesday 17 February. It was an intense race, as Emilien Jacquelin summed up forEurosport : “I was in a trance from the start to the finish. I’m going to sleep well tonight.
The goal had been on the minds of the French for years. ” When we became Olympic runners-up in Beijing, all we wanted to do was climb higher up the podium,” Fabien Claude summed up on France 2. However, the Lorraine native struggled mightily with his shooting. Two spikes on the recumbent, three spikes and a penalty ring: the first relay runner came out in 20th and last position before his last shot. Second fastest on skis, he finally took the relay in 13th place. “It was an honour to start this relay. I obviously gave everything for the team, but I struggled,” he toldEurosport.
Emilien Jacquelin’s “relay of exception
This was the moment chosen by Emilien Jacquelin to deliver a high-flying performance. In nine minutes, the native of Isère put Les Bleus back in the lead, with a great skiing time (the best of the second relay) and a fast shot (22 seconds on his downhill). ” Emilien did an exceptional relay,” said Quentin Fillon-Maillet on France 2. As third relay runner, he was launched into the lead, in a group with Finland and Sweden, with a slight lead over Norway.
As he passed on the baton, Emilien Jacquelin tried to encourage him, as he told Eurosport: “I don’t know if he heard, but I tried to mumble two words to him. I was so drunk it was gibberish: ‘Be a champion, go for it’. This is a team where there are only champions, and he’s the first.
The Jurassien was strong in the shooting (2 picks) and on the skis, managing his effort to also finish in the lead, in the same time as Sweden and Norway. “Emilien gave me the lead. The main thing was to leave him in the lead”, he said on France 2.
He then watched Eric Perrot complete the job, with a perfect shot on the prone to escape, and two picks on the standing to secure victory.” A relay is all about duels and moments of combat. I made a few mistakes, but they worked to my advantage,” he analysed on Eurosport. It didn’t take much more than that, and I was done for in the end.
His exhaustion in the finish area was testimony to this. Lying on the ground for a long time, he initially struggled to move and was supported by Quentin Fillon-Maillet. It was quite a fight,” he continued later on France 2. It’s rare for me to get into such a state. Getting into the stadium was complicated. I almost didn’t enjoy it as much because it was all about survival. No matter, the main thing was safe: Les Bleus became Olympic champions in the men’s relay.
A tribute to the great names of the French national team
A title that each relay player insisted on making collective.” It was even a 6-man victory with substitutes Oscar [Lombardot] and Emilien [Claude]. I’m also thinking of Antonin Guigonnat, who I hope is proud of us. It’s also a victory for all the old hands. […] The men’s relay is a title that the French biathlon team has never won. We won a silver medal four years ago, something that hadn’t happened since the Turin Games, a generation that made us dream, the four of us who raced today”, Emilien Jacquelin insisted on the public service channel.
Eric Perrot went on to say on Eurosport : “French biathlon is four men here, but above all it’s thirty years of history. We represent the whole family of French biathlon. This medal should be around the necks of so many other French champions, who have made history, who have shown us the way, who have shown us that it was possible. Starting with Martin Fourcade, who presented the medals to the quartet.
More discreet than his partners, mainly because of his difficult race, Fabien Claude concluded on France 2: “This scenario will go down in history. And in the figures too: this medal is symbolically the one that enables the French delegation to beat its record for the most medals won at a single Olympic Games. With 16… including 9 in the biathlon alone.
- Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot give France its first Olympic relay title
- Emilien Jacquelin’s legendary relay, which took France from thirteenth to first place in 9 minutes.
- “He was dead”: to give Olympic gold to Les Bleus, Peiserot Eric Perrot finished the relay at the end of his tether.
- “It’s a great thing”: on the verge of tears, Simon Fourcade savours the Olympic relay title won by his biathletes
- “It’s the consecration of a generation”: substitute in Italy, Emilien Claude talks to Nordic Magazine about the Olympic relay title won by his team-mates.
- The crazy figures of the French men’s relay Olympic victory
- Photo album of the Olympic relay title won by Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot
- Sixteen podium finishes: the men’s biathlon relay enabled France to beat its all-time record for medals won in a single Olympic Games.
- He joins fencers Philippe Cattiau and Roger Ducret: Quentin Fillon-Maillet becomes the most decorated French athlete at the Olympic Games
- A silver medal with “mixed” feelings for Norway in the men’s relay
- The Swedes are satisfied with a bronze medal in the relay
- Fourteenth place went to Tommaso Giacomel’s Italy, whose skis failed him completely in his relay.
- An intense fortnight for the Ukrainians
- Biathlon: the medals table and the full list of winners at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games
