Kontiolahti (Dagbladet): French Martin Fourcade wrote himself into history as one of history’s truly great biathletes after their third straight championship gold in the sport’s oldest exercise – and also clearly difficult to win.
Even with a boom yesterday He was 20.9 seconds ahead of our own Emil Hegle Svendsen, who won “only” silver despite that he delivered 20 glossy hits on belay.
World Cup gold comes just three days after the French sports heroes Camille Muffat (swimming), Alexis Vastine (boxing) and Florence Arthaud (sailing) perished during helikoterstyrt in connection with the recording of the French edition of the reality show “Dropped” in Argentina.
Fourcade honored their compatriots and sports colleagues by pointing toward heaven as he went in goal as world champion in Kontiolahti last night.
– I thought of them during the race and it helped me a lot along the way, although I know that one should not confuse these things. But I really wanted to win for Camille, Alexis and Florence, said gold medalist Martin Fourcade.
He was also quick to honor sports heroes on social media just after helikopterkrasjen.
– Heroes never die. We honor their memory. Rest in peace Camille, Florence and Alexis, he wrote on twitter.
Hat Trick
Although it was an emotional journey towards gold yesterday, so he completed a hat-trick as only Vladimir Melanin managed for old Soviet Union in the 60s, namely to win three straight championships gold (VM ’62, ’63 World Cup and Olympics ’64) in biathlon sport normal program.
Fourcade started row of gold in Nove Mesto two years ago:
After taking taken silver behind Emil Hegle Svendsen on both Sprint and pursuit, then grabbed the Frenchman the opportunity as the chance that opened when Svendsen had to stand above normal program due to illness.
Strong winning streak
Then he was Olympic champion in the exercise in Sochi last winter before the reigning world champion thus defended VM gold on distance here in Kontiolahti yesterday.
And you add that he is the first since Frank Ullrich in 1982 and 83 to defend a world title at 20 kilometers, and that he also has won eight of the last 11 World Cup in the exercise, then you are spot on who is normal program king of biathlon.
Yesterday, he was unstoppable even with a boom. When he at the press conference after gulløpet yesterday was asked whether he feared that gold fumed after the boom already on the other shootings yesterday, so he responded like a true champion:
Autopilot
– I was not thinking I was on autopilot and was only focused on the race and what I had to do next.
Although Norway set with gold candidates on all men’s events, so there is no escaping that Fourcade landed on Finnish soil as the biggest favorite.
But the championship did not start as expected for the 26 year old.
The favorite France opened with silver in the mixed relay, then struggled Fourcade, as many of the other big names in the wind when John Thingnes Bo won World Cup gold in the sprint. Fourcade finished in 12th place, and advanced to seventh place in the pursuit.
kissing disease
When he finally got a gold around his neck last night, then came the story of how happy he is to end up with a gold medal, despite a troubled ramp.
– When I think back to where I was last spring when I got diagnosed mononucleosis and feared that I lost all biathlon season, so I realize how lucky I am sitting here with gold and also has the yellow jersey. It is “crazy,” says Martin Fourcade.
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