On Wednesday, the mixed relay will kick off the Biathlon Worlds in Oberhof (Germany). On the French side, the quartet will be the same as the one who won the silver in Beijing. Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, Julia Simon, Emilien Jacquelin and Quentin Fillon Maillet will defend our colors.
France with its two leaders to launch the Worlds and the same team as in Beijing. Wednesday, the mixed relay will give the big start of the World Championships in Oberhof (Germany), also counting for the general classification of the World Cup, and the Blues will once again put all the assets on their entry side. As expected, France will indeed line up a quartet which will include two of its best elements on the men’s and women’s side, namely Quentin Fillon Maillet and Julia Simon. The Franc-Comtois, winner of the last big crystal globe but already certain of losing his title this year, will be, as in China last season, the last torchbearer for the Blues on this mixed relay. Simon, the World Cup leader’s yellow bib on his back, will start in second position in this relay, including Norway (Marte Olsbu Roeiseland, Ingrid Tandrevold, Sturla Laegreid and Johannes Boe), as will be moreover practically the case on all the races of these Worlds, will be one of the great favorites. Emilien Jacquelin, third torchbearer, and Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, who will be responsible for showing the way to the Blues, will complete the selection and will be associated with the two leaders of the France team, who will therefore present his typical team on this relay. which will open the long-awaited meeting this month of February in Oberhof.
The only mixed relay this season, the Blues won it
In Beijing, during the last Olympic Games, the Blues had already presented themselves in the same composition and they had won the silver medal thanks in particular to a dazzling Simon once again that day (she had passed on the baton to Jacquelin in 1st position while Chevalier-Bouchet occupied 8th place when passing the baton to his compatriot) and a Fillon Maillet whose experience had proved to be very valuable at the end of the chain. Unfortunately for the Habs, Norway and Johannes Boe had already put an end to the suspense for the title. This year, only one mixed relay has taken place so far, and France, Olympic champion in the specialty in 2018 and world champion in Oslo in 2016, won. Fabien Claude had been preferred to Jacquelin. Nevertheless, the Blues will leave with a psychological advantage over their rivals, the Norwegians included.
