BEIJING, China — With Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Emilien Jacquelin in the top two World Cup spots and a women’s team capable of anything, France head into the 2022 Olympics in a position of strength as Norway hope for a revival of Johannes Boe and a consecration for Marte Olsbu Roeiseland in the women’s category.
Four years ago in Pyeongchang, the French hopes of a podium rested mainly on the shoulders of Martin Fourcade, but now the danger can come from anywhere.
The men will have taken a season to digest the departure of the legend Fourcade and emancipate themselves. The change is spectacular: this winter, the circuit is again completely dominated by a Frenchman, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, who arrives in Beijing with the label of big favorite firmly stuck in the back.
Long in the shadow of the five-time Olympic champion and unable last year to endorse the costume of leader of the Blues, “QFM” (29 years old) has metamorphosed and seems set to win a first big crystal globe, especially since the Norwegians, starting with the triple holder Johannes Boe, are in sharp decline.
Man to beat the Games, Fillon-Maillet, who has never won an Olympic or world gold medal, is expected. The proof: the great Ole-Einar Bjoerndalen, coach of China who therefore knows the Zhangkjiakou site perfectly, affirms that “the track is cut” for him.
But a disruptive element could arise from his own camp. Émilien Jacquelin, double pursuit world champion and his runner-up in the general classification of the World Cup, is also having the best season of his career at 26 (5 podiums including 1 success) and has legitimate ambitions to assert.
Roeiseland and others
Instinctive biathlete and follower of races in direct confrontation, he can prove to be a real poison for Fillon-Maillet.
The Norwegians, great rivals of the French, hope to thwart their plans. After three years of reign, their leader Johannes Boe, crowned in 2018 in the individual (20 km), no longer sparks (3 podiums including 1 victory in 2021-2022) but he may have reserved for the big Olympic meeting.
His older brother, the experienced Tarjei Boe, the Swedes, led by Sebastian Samuelsson (4th in the World Cup), and the Russians, in renewed form, will also be to watch.
Among women, Marte Olsbu Roeiseland crushes the World Cup and will be looking for her first Olympic gold medals after her raid at the Worlds in 2020 (5 titles). The young Swede Elvira Oeberg (22), who gleaned her first three successes before the Games, risks being the main threat for the Norwegian.
But the French also have arguments to put forward. They are three in the top 10 of the World Cup (Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, Anaïs Bescond) while with the unpredictable Julia Simon, a feat is always possible.
