Biathlon | Quentin Fillon-Maillet after his success in the Oberhof sprint: “It was a tough road back to victory”

Biathlon: what Quentin Fillon-Maillet had to say after winning the Oberhof sprint

On Friday afternoon, 1,037 days after his last international success, Quentin Fillon-Maillet returned to winning ways in the biathlon world cup. Winner of the sprintin Oberhof (Germany) with a 10/10 and a very solid ski time, he won for the seventeenth time in his career.

After the official ceremony, he spoke about his race in a video conference attended by Nordic Magazine.

• How do you feel after this victory, your first since March 2022?

It’s very emotional! It’s been a long road back to victory. I came close last year, but I got in my own way. It’s been complicated. Sometimes it was the form that wasn’t right, sometimes it was the shooting… I practice a sport that’s not so simple, but it’s not so complicated at the same time. It means a lot to me to get back to winning because that’s just what I love above all else.

• We can feel your emotion…

I love all the emotions of biathlon because it’s never neutral and there’s never a dull moment. It’s been a while since I’ve had such strong sensations in an individual race, so I’m very satisfied… especially as it’s shared with two other Frenchmen on the podium and there’s a pursuit tomorrow [Saturday]. It’s just too good!

• What has changed for you in the last three weeks?

If I’d pulled out a secret card that I didn’t have at the start of the season, I would have done it long before! A lot of things have been called into question. The real problem since the start of the season has been my shooting. In training, I do some good things, but it gets more complicated as soon as I get into competition mode. A lot of things have been going on in my head about whether it’s a technical problem or a mental problem. I arrived at Christmas with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth because of my shooting, which is really giving me problems. On top of that, I had the flu!

• What did you do during the break?

Once I’d got through Christmas and recovered, I got back to work to find solutions. I called Nicolas [Chouard], my coach at home, and my father to do a session with his different, outside view. I tried to do some crazy things to find solutions. We found some interesting points. At the back, I got to Oberhof and, with Jean-Pierre [Amat], we added 2 centimetres to the back of the stick. There’s more to it than that, there’s also the mental approach and a whole host of other things, but it enabled me to put in a great performance.

• Can you explain what the 2 centimetres you’ve added to your stock will actually change?

I’ve changed quite a few things, but it’s the adjustment that’s had the biggest effect on my position. I’ve added 2 centimetres to the back of my stick, where I rest my shoulder. Up until now, since the start of the season, I’d been moving around a lot during exercise. I could feel my heart beating and I was losing stability. That’s a real handicap when you’re lying down! This time, I’ve regained a stability that I haven’t had for a long time.

• Last Sunday, you took part in the mass-start of the French Cup in Prémanon (Jura): did that have an impact on your performance today in Oberhof (Germany)?

Just as well, there was an official race at home. As a result, my intensity session turned into a competition, which was great for the physical part. After that, it was very windy, even more so than at Oberhof! As I wanted to find my marks, it wasn’t a reference race for me and that left me in doubt. I did a 12/20 with a 14/20 as the best shot of the whole race. It was a very good exercise, but the 2 centimetres I added were on Oberhof!

• What does this race change for you this season?

I was like a car that arrived on standby because I’d been waiting a long time for a great race like today’s and it never came… Quite often, I made too many mistakes at the shooting range and I was beginning to get tired of the average level I was producing, knowing my potential. This has given me a lot of energy! The World Cup podium was the first step for me, but to win a sprint like that in Oberhof is really great! Let’s just say I’ve refuelled the car.

• On Saturday, you’ll be back at the start of a World Cup pursuit in the lead: have you still got your bearings?

The mass-start in Prémanon gave me a good reference point because I was in the lead from start to finish. I hope to do the same! Starting out in the lead with a lead of around fifteen seconds, I’m going to approach this pursuit as an individual race because there won’t be anyone to help me in the first lap. I’m going to want to get through the shots by taking good shots and analysing the wind. Then I’ll adapt my strategy according to the scenario! I know the reference points and my aim will always be to get through the shots, which have been fickle since the start of the season. You have to be on deck to work, and that’s what I intend to do.

Live data from the men’s sprint

• The full programme for the Oberhof World Cup, the fourth stage of the 2024/2025 season
• Corinne Niogret: my best memory of… Oberhof
• Oberhof: Paula Botet, with 10/10, dominates the sprint and wins her first World Cup title
• “I realise it, but I think it’s crazy”: Paula Botet recounts her improbable victory in the Oberhof World Cup sprint
• “With the difficulties she’s faced over the last two seasons, this is exceptional”: Cyril Burdet touched by Paula Botet’s performance at Oberhof
• Oberhof: the photo album of Paula Botet’s first World Cup victory
• Oberhof: Paula Botet, the thirteenth Frenchwoman to win individually on the World Cup circuit
• “Her victory is proof that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”: Paula Botet’s first World Cup success as seen by Chloé Remy, a lifelong friend and former team-mate.
• Oberhof: third in the sprint, Bulgarian Milena Todorova gives Bulgaria its first women’s World Cup podium since… 13 March 2004
• “I wanted to fight with the weapons of the day”: Océane Michelon, who was suffering from flu, won her very first flowers ceremony at the Oberhof sprint.
• Oberhof: victory for Quentin Fillon-Maillet in the sprint, Fabien Claude and Emilien Jacquelin give France a treble
• Paula Botet to replace Sophie Chauveau: the French selection for the Oberhof World Cup
• “She completely deserves to go up”: why the team staff decided to replace Sophie Chauveau with Paula Botet for the Oberhof World Cup
• “I can’t ski with the athletes”: Simon Fourcade, coach of the French men’s team, ruptures the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.