In a stunning reversal of fortune at the Winter Olympics, France achieved a historic victory in the men’s biathlon relay on Tuesday, overcoming last-place positioning to dethrone defending champions Norway by a razor-thin margin of 9.8 seconds. The French team of Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet, and anchor Eric Perrot completed their remarkable comeback on the snow-packed tracks of Anterselva, Italy, securing France’s first-ever Olympic gold in this discipline.
The dramatic finale saw World Cup champion Eric Perrot maintain France’s narrow lead despite missing two shots in his final standing shoot, holding off Norway’s Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen in a heart-pounding finish. The victory served as redemption for France’s silver medal performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where Christiansen had shot clean to defeat Fillon Maillet by 28 seconds.
Sweden captured the bronze medal, finishing less than a minute ahead of Germany, while the United States team delivered an impressive performance to finish fifth after climbing from 16th position. The American squad, which has never won an Olympic biathlon medal, showed promise with Campbell Wright’s strong anchor leg bringing them from 11th to fifth place.
The Norwegian team, consisting of Martin Uldal, Johan-Olav Botn, Sturla Holm Laegreid, and Christiansen, expressed disappointment at settling for silver after entering the competition as world champions and heavy favorites. “To get silver is almost like losing gold,” remarked Laegreid following the race.
France’s victory marks their second biathlon gold of these Games, with Perrot and Fillon Maillet having previously won the mixed relay on February 8 alongside Lou Jeanmonnot and Julia Simon. The women’s relay is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.