Biathlon: 4 faults for Quentin Fillon-Maillet, 6 for Emilien Jacquelin
In the individual event at the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina, Eric Perrot won a fine silver medal on Tuesday. On the other hand, Émilien Jacquelin (14/20) and Quentin Fillon Maillet (16/20) had a more difficult day behind the rifle and were unable to challenge for the medal.
“Far from a disaster race” for Quentin Fillon-Maillet
Quentin Fillon-Maillet from the Jura took eighth place on Tuesday, despite a 16/20 behind the rifle, synonymous with a four-minute penalty. This performance was made possible by his impressive form on skis, illustrated by the best skiing time of the event.
“I’m taking positives from this race. Best ski time in a format that I really enjoy. I was Olympic champion with an 18. You need a maximum of two faults to be on the podium. That was too much,” he admitted to France Télévision.
He also spoke about the difficulty of the transalpine shooting range. “Here, it looks easy because there’s no wind, but the physical effort creates the difficulty. The finish isn’t easy, your heart is beating very fast and it’s difficult to keep a clear head on the shooting range.
Looking ahead, the Frenchman prefers to look ahead. “I do a difficult sport. Beijing was exceptional. To do as well is complicated, I’m aware of that. I’ve got four opportunities left, including a team race. I’m very positive, because a lot of things went well today. He concludes with confidence: “ With experience and preparation, I’m often in good shape in February. And that’s just as well, because it’s the Olympics.
“Right from the start, all my shots were complicated,” says Emilien Jacquelin.
Fifty-fifth in the event with a 14/20 score, Emilien Jacquelin quickly realised that the day was going to be complicated. “As early as the trials, all my shots were complicated. Despite the fact that we were trying to adjust our aim to the centre of the target, each subsequent shot was low. My fear was that if I kept clicking low, the opposite effect would occur on the run. That’s what happened,” he confided to France Television.
The dreaded scenario was confirmed on the first pass over the shooting range with two faults. ” On my first shot, all my balls were on the top left “, he explained, before trying to limit the damage on his skis. “After two mistakes on the first shot, I tried to hang on. I did what I had to do.
With nothing left to play for in the final, the Frenchman was even told to ease off. “On the last lap, the staff told me to slow down to save my strength for the rest of the race. It’s frustrating because it’s a very demanding race[…] I know what I’m capable of. I’ll have to raise my standards in the final races. I’ve given my all for the French Olympic team and no one can hold that against me.
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