Biathlon | Emilien Jacquelin talks to Nordic Magazine a few days before the start of the World Championships in Lenzerheide: “I want to be bold and committed”

Biathlon: preparing for the world championships in the Vercors for Emilien Jacquelin

TheFrench biathlon team is back in business this Saturday for the French Cup sprint at La Féclaz (Savoie). As they did last winter, France’s top biathletes are testing their mettle in Savoie before heading to Lenzerheide (Switzerland), the venue for the world championships from 12 to 23 February.

Two weeks after the last World Cup race in Antholz (Italy), Emilien Jacquelin will also be at the start of this final rehearsal before the global event. Training at home in the Vercors over the last few days, the Villardien took the time to answer some questions from Nordic Magazine.

He talked about his ambitions, his desire to shine at the Olympic Games and the reasons for his redemption since the start of the winter. Interview.

• First of all, what are your first impressions after almost two weeks at home?

The two weeks I spent at home allowed me to recover well. Physically, I think I was still doing well in the World Cup. It was more a case of mentally struggling to push myself to my limits on each day of the race. I needed to freshen up and that’s what I’ve got. You have to get back on track before the race at La Féclaz, so it’s not the easiest thing to do [Laughs]!

• How are you approaching the World Championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), where competitions kick off this Wednesday?

I really want to do well. I want to go for podiums and even titles. Above all, I also want to concentrate on my state of mind. I want to be bold and committed. It’s a bit philosophical, but for me, I’ve already won a world champion title and I tell myself that it won’t change anything in my life. The only thing, and probably the most important thing, is that I’ll be very proud of myself if I win a third individual title or a team title with my mates. But it won’t change anything about who I am. I’m not obsessed with this “title that will make me grow up” aspect.

On the other hand, I love one-day races and I love the world championships. I have this thought, which could be a brake compared to others who want to go for their first title, but I also tell myself that it can give me extra energy by concentrating on enjoying myself in an element and in events that I like.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

• Is there a particular race in your sights?

In my career as a whole, I’m pleased to have managed to make progress in the sprint. This winter, I won for the first time in my career in this format and I was on the podium in Oberhof. Overall, it’s going pretty well and I’d like to aim for the title. And as we know, when you’re ahead in the sprint, you’re also ahead in the pursuit! It’s obviously an event that I also enjoy.

After that, all the races are interesting. Today, it was a bit frustrating to miss out on the mass-starts. Even though she was very good in Ruhpolding, these are still races with undemanding profiles and a lot of people can be up front. I know I have what it takes to do well in all the races. Now I just have to be there on the big day and that’s the most important thing. That’s what we need to focus on.

• In less than a year’s time, the Olympic Games will open in Milan/Cortina (Italy). How does that inspire you?

It’s coming up quickly. There are quite a few things I’ve put in place over the summer with these Games in mind. I’ve already tried out some new things so that I can be competitive next year. For me, that would really be the high point of my career. Ever since I found out that the Games would be held in Antholz, I’ve said to myself that it would be a great place to end my career or to perform as well as possible. It’s a quest I’ve had for four years. I don’t think about it every day though [Laughs]!

• Aren’t the 2030 Games in the French Alps in the back of your mind?

It’s hard to know which side of the track I’ll be on in 2030. It’s a question of balance. If I feel good in my life, I have no problem training and pushing myself during the preparation periods, because I love that. But like everyone else, I also want to develop. I’m not opposed to going, but it will be a four-year project and I need to think about it. In any case, I’ll be a player at these Games!

• You went through some difficult seasons before turning things around this winter. What is the big difference that has allowed you to get back to your best today?

The first thing is that the complicated period I went through was really personal and not related to biathlon. I still had the ability to do something, because the year I stopped my season after the Worlds, I still had a world champion relay title and three podium finishes in December. In the end, that’s more than enough and a lot of biathletes would sign up for that. And when I take a step back, I tell myself that it’s all just experience and feeling.

At one point, things just didn’t work out. Today, I’m able to stand back and keep going, even during complicated sessions or when things aren’t going so well. I listen to myself a bit more too. Mentally, I’ve changed in a lot of ways.

When I was younger, I was more into a personal quest where I wanted to succeed to prove things to myself and also to do it for others. I realised that that wasn’t the most important thing. It’s not a title that makes you more respectable or better. When you realise that, it’s a blow because you’ve been putting a lot into it for fifteen years, thinking that a title will solve your problems.

Today, I approach my sport in a different way. I’ve refocused on doing things well. Performing gives me pleasure, but I like to do it in my own way by being authentic. That’s what makes me happier today than going for a podium or a medal.

Read also

• Final adjustments at home before the Worlds for Emilien Jacquelin
• The full programme for the French Cup at La Féclaz, where most of the French national team will be competing at the World Championships in Lenzerheide.