France Secures First-Ever Relay Win in Hochfilzen
France, with Fabien Claude, Quentin Fillon Maillet, Eric Perrot, and Emilien Jacquelin, won the Hochfilzen Men’s 4x6 km Relay. This marks their first-ever victory in this location. The podium on Sunday mirrored the one from two weeks ago in Kontiolahti, with the Norwegians finishing second and the Swedes taking third.
Already after the first leg, it seemed that Norway and France would fight for victory. As the race progressed, this became even more evident, with the other teams falling further behind. By the time of the final exchange, the leading duo had built a lead of over a minute and a half on the next closest team. It was a knockout.
The statistics favored the Norwegians, who had already won the Hochfilzen relay 14 times. Surprisingly, the French had never claimed victory here. That changed today, and it was decided by the final shooting. Vebjørn Sørum reached the range first with a 15-second lead. The former junior world champion missed four shots and had to take a penalty loop. Emilien Jacquelin missed only twice and started the final loop with a significant advantage over Norway. The two leading teams were separated by 49 seconds at the finish line.
"Before the race, I didn't know we had never won in Hochfilzen. You could say we made history", says Jacquelin right after finish.
"For many years, we have had a big challenge to win with the Norwegians. Today, we did it just like in Kontiolahti; it means a lot to us. We're proud to win again."
For Jacquelin, it was the seventh relay victory of his career. Only Quentin Fillon Maillet (8) and Martin Fourcade (9) have more team victories among the French.
Battle for Third Place
The remaining teams focused solely on the battle for third place. For a long time, it seemed Slovenia, led by 37-year-old veteran Jakov Fak, would secure its first podium in over two decades. However, a fantastic finish from the Swedes changed that. Still outside the top ten at the halfway point, Sebastian Samuelsson proved faster than Lovro Planko on the final lap, allowing Sweden to claim third place for the second time this season. For Slovenia, fourth place is their best result since March 2021.
2024/25 BMW IBU World Cup 2 Men's 4 x 7.5 km Relay
USA Biathletes Extend Impressive Top-6 Streak
The U.S. biathletes delivered another strong performance, finishing in 6th place today. Including the World Championships in Nove Mesto, this marks their fourth consecutive top-6 finish—a streak they’ve never achieved before! The next Men's Relay is scheduled for January 17 in Ruhpolding. Will Campbell Wright and his teammates make the next step and reach the podium? The Americans have been waiting for such a result since 1988.
Photos: IBU/Yevenko, Nordic Focus/Christian Manzoni, Leo Authamayou
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