It’s a beautiful image, a surreal moment for a sporting competition. In the final lap of the men’s relay at the World Championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), Johannes Thingnes Boe, who was so certain of giving his team a gold medal because of his large lead, suddenly stopped. He then signalled to Quentin Fillon-Maillet, on his way to second place, who in turn stopped. The two men, smiling, then exchanged a “check”, long a sign of recognition in American gangs, now used by everyone.
” I’m delighted that he’s come to give me a pat on the back. I really enjoy competing against Quentin. He’s a good friend of mine,” the Scandinavian told theIBU.
Johannes Thingnes Boe, relaxed and happy, also took the time to play with the public. He crossed the finish line with a Norwegian flag that a supporter passed to him, soon to be joined by his compatriots.
🇳🇴 Johannes Boe 🤙 Quentin Fillon Maillet 🇫🇷#ChaletClub #Lenzerheide pic.twitter.com/jmRly5UYlV– Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) February 22, 2025
“We’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ola Braenholm on SVT, on discovering the scene. ” The track is useful for that, we pass each other,” reacted Sandrine Bailly on Eurosport.
In any case, this gesture shows genuine mutual respect. It also confirms that biathlon will be losing a great champion at the end of the winter.
It also comes in a special context: since the start of the winter, the French have won all the World Cup relays.
Another striking example of “checks” between opponents comes from football: during the 2018 World Cup, after the final between France and Croatia, several players from both teams shared checks and hugs, including Luka Modrić and Kylian Mbappé.
