Florence Baverel’s debrief summary
Biathlon: Marie-Laure Brunet’s view of the Nove Mesto World Cup
Throughout the winter, a retired biathlete from France will be debriefing the season’s various competitions for Nordic Magazine. Florence Baverel, Olympic sprint champion in 2006, takes the opportunity to review the World Cup in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic).
After the disappointment of the World Championships, Emilien Jacquelin bounces back to win the sprint
“It looks like a great bounce-back after the Worlds! He was a bit upset not to do the relay where he would have been right at home. He did what Emilien [Jacquelin] did, even though he wasn’t great because he was a bit ill. He went with what he had at the time and it still worked! He simply wanted to do things without thinking about the result. We know what he’s capable of, so we’re not surprised that he won, but it was the right thing to do and we had to get this race out of the way! In reaction to his difficult world championships, it’s almost a logical victory.
“When coaches make their choices, they expect their athletes to react. What’s painful when you’re an athlete is that you often do things in reaction when you should have done them before you had to react. So that was the effect the coaches were hoping for. Emilien [Jacquelin] also needs to learn from this: he did things simply and masterfully and he knows how to do things like that too! He doesn’t need to be on fire all the time. He didn’t think about the result and just did a great biathlon.
Lou Jeanmonnot takes back points from Franziska Preuss, but…
“Unfortunately, she cracked on her last standing shot in the pursuit with two penalties! You can tell Lou [Jeanmonnot] is on the defensive and over-stressed with this globe to go and get. She seems to be defending something and not playing her usual biathlon. She’s on her heels and that’s not like her. I hope she’ll find more release for the end of the season, because she’s missed a few last shots. There’s a bit of a psychological block now, but she knows what she’s doing and she needs to stick with it, relying on her shooting ability.
“Psychologically, she’s been dealt a blow, but I hope she’ll be able to make the change quickly for Pokljuka and this individual match, which won’t be easy. It’s a tense format and traditionally the shots are much more nervous. In one stage, she still managed to take back a lot of points from [Franziska] Preuss, who was cracking both physically and psychologically. She mustn’t be disappointed! Personally, I’m more worried about [Franziska] Preuss than Lou [Jeanmonnot].
Johannes Thingnes Boe takes the lead over Sturla Holm Lægreid in the quest for the big globe
“Johannes Thingnes Boe has not let go of the yellow bib! It’s going to be a battle for the rest of the season. You can feel [Sturla Holm] Lægreid not doing so well and struggling. He struggled to wear the yellow jersey in Nove Mesto. He was nervous, he wasn’t his usual self, and he made some unusual mistakes [notably two standing errors in the sprint, editor’s note]. It’s not going to be easy for him! In my opinion, he doesn’t yet have the shoulders to wear the yellow. I don’t think he’s got a complex about his team-mate, but he’s finding it hard to go after him. [Sturla Holm] Lægreid is the good student, the ideal type who doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary.
“For the moment, therefore, there is a 5-point lead for Johannes [Thingnes Boe] and I think that seeing him finish in Oslo with the yellow bib would be so beautiful and symbolic”.
Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold’s victorious comeback
“Even though she was ahead of the French, who came close to a hat-trick, everyone was really pleased for her when she won the sprint. After everything she’s been through this winter, she deserves it! She’s an athlete who always has a smile on her face. So she’s had her problems at heart and, more generally, she’s had trouble taking on the role of leader of the Norwegian team. She’s showing that she can still be at the front! That was the beautiful story of this Czech week.
An incredible relay grand slam for Les Bleus
“The Norwegians have done it before, but it’s crazy for us! At the start of the relay, we knew we were going to win the globe, but I didn’t believe we’d actually win the day. Everyone had to be solid to do it and not lose out to the Norwegians. And that’s exactly what they managed to do so well, I think. They were always in contact and then there was this incredible finish.
“Quentin [Fillon-Maillet] had prepared for this duel against Johannes [Thingnes Boe] and he came out with a totally crazy standing shot! It was magical. That sequence also shows that we don’t have to deal with the Johannes [Thingnes Boe] of the past. In other seasons, he would have managed to do that standing shot, because he knows how to do it too. Mentally, he’s lacking a bit and it’s easy to see why he’s going to stop: he can’t find the mental resources to go out and find that little extra something that makes the difference. It’s the end and he’ll have to take a penalty lap for his last stint!
“Quentin [Fillon-Maillet] was surprised that the Norwegian didn’t come out of the shooting range with him because he was ready to fight on the last lap. In the end, he didn’t have to.
The great Julia Simon is back
“We’re back to the Julia Simon we used to have, the one who’s monstrous on the shooting range! It’s incredible what she’s done. Since the start of the season, she hadn’t had the presence she has on the shooting range and now, here she is again. What she’s managed to do on the shooting range at the end of the season is enormous. I don’t know how she manages to make those shots, to succeed in shooting with her first intentions. She’s the only one who can do that and it makes all the difference. In the pursuit, it was that shot, on the last stand, that enabled her to go on and win. It was the great Julia Simon all over again”.
Progress for Oscar Lombardot, who scored his first individual top 10 in a World Cup race
“It’s a nice surprise and I’d like to say at last! At last, he’s managing to have a good race. Before the competitions in Nove Mesto, I had a little chat with Jean-Pierre Amat and he told me that he was getting the hang of it in training, but that he couldn’t manage to get any good shots in the race. Now he has, and I hope it will give him confidence for the future!
“He was so unprepared for the start of the season… He had prepared well and he was in the mood, but it was a cold shower, especially as he had compartment syndrome. With all that, you quickly get into a negative mood and a bad dynamic. It’s also thanks to Antonin [Guigonnat], who’s not in the final stages of the season, that he’s got his chance!
“I’m happy for him that he can show what he can do with some good shots. Before, his attitudes always shocked me: he was hyper-aggressive and over-played, but now things are better. He trusts himself instead of trying to prove impossible things. He’s shown that he can do it, especially in the relay where he did 10/10 under pressure! Confidence is extremely important in biathlon and I hope he’s turned a corner psychologically.
French women still at the top
“It’s France! Their performances reflect their season. They’re always in the mix and in great shape on the skis, despite the post-Worlds recovery, which is never easy to negotiate. This team is huge! It comes from everyone, from the impressive youngsters like Jeanne [Richard] and Océane [Michelon] who are discovering themselves race after race, to the leaders.
Tommaso Giacomel continues to dominate the podiums
“He’s really moved up a gear, especially as it’s not easy in Italy where he’s the only one carrying this team! He’s hanging in there and moving up in the general standings. After a disappointing start to the season, he’s really come into his own since Ruhpolding – it’s nothing like it! He’s had a metamorphosis and is putting in a string of fine performances and podiums. In the end, if he’d started like that at the beginning of the season, he’d be right at the front and playing for the big globe!
A crushing victory and a globe for the French women’s relay
“There were the French girls and the others! We were waiting for this relay to show that they were the strongest. In the end, when you look at their level, they should have done like the boys and signed the 5/5. But biathlon isn’t as simple as that! In this last relay, they were at their best and there was no suspense throughout the race. They won by a large margin, which guarantees them the small globe.
Quentin Fillon-Maillet still here
“He’s always super motivated! There’s nothing stopping him and he’s been on top form on his skis since the start of the season. Even though he made that magic shot in the relay, he’s still lacking a bit on the mats, especially in the prone shot where it’s not serene. He knows how to do it, but there are a few careless mistakes. There’s a lot of desire in him and he could be going for some wins at the end of the season! He’s still as motivated as ever and doesn’t doubt himself.
Little by little, Emilien Claude takes his place in the group
“He’s settling in nicely in this French group. He finished eighth in the sprint and then a little further back in the pursuit because of some unusual mistakes, but it’s the end of the season and it’s difficult to stay focused all the time when you’re coming up to the World Cup and you’re young. Despite everything, he did another good relay and is continuing to make progress as he takes his place in the team.
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