Biathlon: an explosive winter for Eric Perrot
After a winter in 2023/2024 in which he won his first World Cup race and picked up his first world relay medals, Peiserot Eric Perrot continued his progress this season. Establishing himself as one of the best biathletes on the planet, the ambitious Savoyard finished the year in third place in the overall rankings, winning three races in the process , including the individual at the world championships.
The win makes Eric Perrot only the fifth French world champion in history, following in the footsteps of Patrice Bailly-Salins, Raphaël Poirée, Martin Fourcade and Emilien Jacquelin.
If you look at his start to the season, it was good and there were some good things, but I thought that if he came back from the World Championships with a medal, it would be good and wonderful for him,” recalls his coach Simon Fourcade to Nordic Magazine. Seeing him take responsibility for himself and manage to do what it takes to win a world title, as he did, commands a lot of respect and a lot of attention. We know that when he announces something, it’s not done lightly. Eric [Perrot] is a very mature person who is sure of his strengths, confident in what he is doing and in the future.
He establishes himself as the leader of the French team
For the Catalan coach, the maturity of 23-year-old Eric Perrot is one of his greatest strengths.
“He continues to progress without asking too many questions. In that sense, he’s really a very mature person; he’s continuing to chart his course. Of course we’re continuing to make adjustments, but without constantly calling everything into question,” says Simon Fourcade. He knows where he wants to go and how he wants to get there. We’re trying to work towards that, but he’s an athlete who’s easy to work with.
Thanks to his results and his role in group life, the biathlete from the Tarentaise valley is now the new leader of the men’s French team.
The others also have a big part to play in the group, but Eric [Perrot] stands out as a quiet force, with a more composed and less explosive attitude,” analyses the French coach. He’s an athlete we needed to be able to settle things down at times and regulate the group.
- Simon Fourcade talks to Nordic Magazine about Les Bleus’ winter: “I never thought we’d have a season like this”.
- Julia Simon’s 2024/2025 season as seen by Cyril Burdet: “Her ability to bounce back and cope with difficulty is incredible”.
