Olympic Games 2026: Emilien Jacquelin to be the foundation of the French title in the men’s biathlon relay
After the second of eight shots in the men’s relay, the French team came out 20th and last. This was due to five fouls and a penalty lap by Fabien Claude, the first blue relay runner, on Tuesday 17 February in Antholz (Italy).
A stratospheric first shot
When it came time for the relay, Emilien Jacquelin started in 13th position, “determined”. The bronze medallist in the pursuit was anything but demoralised, as he told France 2 : “I know my sport too well to know that in relays, a penalty lap is not death. There are four relays, and that’s a long time: over 1h20 of racing today. There’s plenty of time to recover. 50 seconds in itself… We were capable of coming back.
Duly noted. After a first round in which he clawed back 20 seconds on Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn and Sweden’s Jasper Nelin, he shot a perfect first round in 23 seconds. With the Norwegian’s failure to hit the targets (three faults, 1 min 08 on the mat), he came in 5th at 7 seconds: “I did the horizontal like I’ve done the last few days [in a committed manner], and it went well.
Then he attacked on the track, taking the lead 600 metres later: “On the second lap, I didn’t think I was skiing fast enough. Why wait?
“I ran with panache, with desire, with heart”.
He arrived at the starting line with a 17-second lead, but needed a pick on his feet. After starting again with a 9-second margin, he was finally caught on the final loop, but insisted on delivering the lead relay for Quentin Fillon Maillet. After racing for 7.5 km with the grit of a cyclist climber, like the Italian Marco Pantani, whose earring he wears at these Olympic Games.
“Once again, I ran with panache, with desire, with heart. And I think that’s what enabled us to go out and win this medal,” he continued for Eurosport.
At the age of 30, Emilien Jacquelin won his first Olympic title, for which he bears a great deal of responsibility, even if Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot also had great relays. “Some people talked about taking risks, even though we were already 50 seconds behind. But I didn’t feel like I was taking any ill-considered risks. I ran my race,” he defends.
And what about his personal emotions? He preferred to use a pirouette, repeating with an accent a famous saying by Zinedine Zidane: “It’s the emotions, I don’t know what to tell you, just listen”. Another sporting thrill.
- Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot give France its first Olympic relay title
- “He was dead”: to give Olympic gold to Les Bleus, Peiserot Eric Perrot finished the relay at the end of his tether.
- The crazy figures of the French men’s relay Olympic victory
- Sixteen podium finishes: the men’s biathlon relay enabled France to beat its all-time record for medals won in a single Olympic Games.
- He joins fencers Philippe Cattiau and Roger Ducret: Quentin Fillon-Maillet becomes the most decorated French athlete at the Olympic Games
- The Swedes are satisfied with a bronze medal in the relay
- Biathlon: the medals table and the full list of winners at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games
