Biathlon: Quentin Fillon-Maillet at the start of the City Biathlon Dresden this Sunday
This Sunday afternoon, Jura biathlete Quentin Fillon-Maillet returns to the City Biathlon. Third in 2019 and winner in 2020 in the streets of Wiesbaden (Germany), the Grandvallier returns to this German show for the first time in five years.
Since moving to a football stadium in Dresden (Germany), this exhibition race features an XXL line-up. Among those taking part, in addition to Peiserot Eric Perrot who has been invited for the first time, will be Quentin Fillon-Maillet, who has not yet returned to competition this summer.
A waypoint he has ticked off on his route planner
It’s the first real bib after two times with the French team, but above all it’s a more official confrontation,” he said in an audio message sent to Nordic Magazine by his communications team. There’s nothing particularly at stake in the event, as it’s mainly a personal and training challenge.
The five-time Olympic medallist is therefore “keen to validate certain training points and take certain benchmarks, while also taking a look at the competition”. He will be up against Jakov Fak, Philipp Nawrath, Philipp Horn, Justus Strelow as well as Michal Krcmar, Eric Perrot and Vitalii Mandzyn.
It’s an event that puts you in a great situation with a crowd, stress and tension,” he sums up. It’s very interesting for shooting. On the other hand, it’s less interesting for wheel-skiing because it’s a different format to winter. It’s a transition point that I’ve ticked off.
“I’m very satisfied with the work we’ve done so far”.
Although he won’t be facing Tarjei Boe and Johannes Thingnes Boe on this German day, Quentin Fillon-Maillet welcomes their arrival in Dresden to take part in the legends’ race against Benedikt Doll, another retiree from the shooting ranges.
It’s very nice of them to want to take part in this show as a farewell tour,” says the Frenchman. It’s something I’ve already imagined doing after my career.
Finally, the Jurassien is taking advantage of the approach of the City Biathlon to take stock of his Olympic preparations: “The first part of the summer was good, with heavy workloads, quite similar to other years. I’m very pleased with the work we’ve put in so far,” he says. The physical side of things is continuing to improve, and we’re gradually finding solutions to the shooting side of things, which was my weak point last season. There’s nothing miraculous about it, but it’s going in the right direction.
- The full programme of the City Biathlon Dresden, a show organised in a football stadium, in which Océane Michelon, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Lou Jeanmonnot and Eric Perrot will be taking part on Sunday.
- Lou Jeanmonnot, Eric Perrot and Quentin Fillon-Maillet at the start of the City Biathlon Dresden on 31 August
- Marketa Davidova, Philipp Nawrath, Anamarija Lampic and Jakov Fak: the opponents of Lou Jeanmonnot, Océane Michelon, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot in Sunday’s City Biathlon Dresden.
