The French biathlon team was crowned world relay champion on Saturday February 22 in Anterselva (Italy), a first since 2001. Émilien Jacquelin, Martin Fourcade, Simon Desthieux and Quentin Fillon-Maillet came ahead after 4 x 7.5 km Norway (Vetle Christiansen, Johannes Dale, Tarjei Boe, Johannes Boe), title holder, and Germany (Erik Lesser, Philipp Horn, Arnd Peiffer, Benedikt Doll).
Biathlon: Martin Fourcade wins 11th world title
This gold medal is the third in the competition for the tricolor clan after the victories of Emilien Jacquelin (pursuit) and Martin Fourcade (individual). Just before, the French had known less success. Julia Simon, Anaïs Bescond, Célia Aymonier, Justine Braisaz finished fourteenth of the women’s relay, won by Norway, ahead of Germany and Ukraine.
The Hotel of the Russians raided
The day was also marked by a police operation motivated by suspected doping. Italian police raided the hotel housing Russian biathletes in the morning at the request of the Bolzano prosecution. An athlete and his trainer were targeted. The president of the Russian biathlon federation, Vladimir Drachev, then told the Russian news agency Interfax that the athlete was Alexander Loginov.
Winner of the World sprint race on February 15, the Russian is not unknown to the anti-doping authorities: he served between 2014 and 2016 a two-year suspension for doping at EPO and his coronation in Anterselva, where he also won the bronze medal in the pursuit, had caused discomfort among biathletes.
Alexander Loginov nevertheless participated in the men’s relay, a race in which the Russian took the 4the square. Russia, it is at the heart since November 2015 of a resounding scandal of institutional doping which was worth in particular to be excluded from the Winter Olympics of Pyeongchang in 2018, exclusion which could be repeated this summer for the Olympics of Tokyo.
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