Will France beat the record for medals won in an edition of the Winter Olympics? After the silver won in the men’s relay in biathlon by the French Quentin Fillon Maillet, Émilien Jacquelin, Fabien Claude and Simon Desthieux, the tricolor clan has 12 medals, three of which are gold. Three more and the Blues will equal the records of Sochi (2014) and Pyeonchang (2018), which were 15 medals.
Record five gold medals in 2018
If we compare the color of the metals now, France is in the time of passage of Sochi for gold (4 medals too), but is a charm behind Pyeongchang, where the Blues had won gold five times. Biathlete Martin Fourcade had won three on his own (pursuit, mass start, mixed relay), but had failed to bring back a medal in the men’s relay. A feat achieved this Tuesday by the tricolor torchbearers.
His compatriot Quentin Fillon Maillet has already surpassed him in the number of medals (5) and could make his mark even more on these Games, with a sixth medal in six races during the mass start on Friday. He also became the first Frenchman to win five medals in the same edition of the Winter Games. (gold in the individual, pursuit; silver in the mixed relay, the sprint and the men’s relay). The gold, which Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron had missed by nothing in ice dancing four years ago, did not escape them this time.
The remaining French chances
Only one question remains, can France still equal this record? After disappointments for several favorites, such as Perrine Laffont in mogul skiing, only 4th, or Alexis Pinturault in combined, the French fried some of their cartridges. But there are a few left. There will remain the three biathlon events, which can all bring medals (or even doubles?): the women’s 4×6 km relay on Wednesday, and the two mass starts on Friday and Saturday.
READ ALSO. The Beijing 2022 Olympics medal table
Ski cross, on February 18, will also be a discipline where France can hope for a double in the men’s category with Bastien Midol and Terence Tchiknavorian. In alpine skiing, Clément Noël will have a great chance of a medal. The Vosgien is one of the best slalomers in the world. Case to follow.
–
