Biathlon: Emilien Jacquelin’s winning comeback
At the end of the day on Thursday, in the dark of Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), Emilien Jacquelin from the Isère region won the resumption sprint of the biathlon World Cup. Two weeks after missing out on the World Championships, the 29-year-old from Dauphiné picked up the gauntlet and triumphed.
He scored 10/10 on the shooting range to achieve this, sharing the podium with Tommaso Giacomel and Johannes Thingnes Boe. After the official ceremony, Emilien Jacquelin spoke to a number of media, including Nordic Magazine, by video conference. Interview.
- How did you feel going into the sprint in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic), following a tricky World Championships?
The World Championships were difficult, but I really tried to give my all every day. Based on that principle, I could only be disappointed, of course, but I always tried to keep giving it my all. Not being able to run the relay really affected me. So last week’s objective was to cut ties [with the biathlon] and think about something else. Beyond today’s performance, I’m happy to have worked hard and found the tools and keys needed to move forward despite this setback at the world championships.
- You said after the race that your proudest moment of the day was your standing shot, where you managed to get back on track several times…
Beyond that, it’s more the overall state of mind of the race. The standing shot is part of that because that’s where I crystallise everything that can happen in my head in terms of shooting. What can happen is not technical every time, but rather the ability to have confidence in what I know how to do and that I do well in training so that I can implement it in the race without being afraid of failing or the risk of trying too hard. I have to keep it simple and I’m happy to have stayed on my mark without overdoing it or rushing it. That’s how I got the 10/10.
“When there’s less motivation and enjoyment on a daily basis, it’s hard to perform well”Emilien Jacquelin at Nordic Magazine
- What has changed between the end of the Worlds and this winning sprint?
I know myself over the years and I think I need to be mentally fresh. By that I mean not having my head 100% focused on biathlon every day of the season. That’s one of the reasons why I do big months in December, because there’s still mental freshness, momentum and motivation. Little by little, you get into the routine of the World Cup and I feel that sometimes your motivation drops. That was the case at the world championships. When there’s less motivation and less pleasure in the day-to-day, it’s hard to perform well. The key is to be able to cut back sometimes, even though I love my sport and put a lot of energy into it. I like to remind myself that biathlon is only one part of my life and take a step back from it. It gives me more lightness and desire to be in the moment.
- Was it important for you to get going again in the first race after the world championships?
What really hurt me was not being able to run the relay with the guys in the team. After that, once again, I’m expected to win races and podiums. Finishing eleventh in a mass-start and fifteenth in a sprint with 7/10 is certainly not the medals that are expected of me, but I didn’t finish forty-fifth either. It’s a question of perspective, because you wouldn’t hold that against other biathletes. As for me, people immediately say that I’m capable and that I need to do better. Top level is not a long quiet river and too many people think it’s a video game. Just because I’m capable of great performances doesn’t mean I can repeat them every day.
“Of course I wanted to run this relay, but it was their decision”Emilien Jacquelin at Nordic Magazine
- You mentioned the World Championship relay, which you didn’t take part in because the staff chose not to. Is this a story that’s now behind you?
It wasn’t easy, but it’s part of a coach’s job to have to make choices. Whether you agree with them or not, that’s part of being at the top level. Of course I wanted to run this relay, but it was their decision. In the end, if everyone’s happy with second place in the relay, so much the better. I wanted to be able to do it, but the team still performed well. It’s normal, as an athlete, to disagree with certain decisions, but, once again, their [the coaches’] job is complicated in this case. The break was good for moving on and moving forward.
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