Biathlon – Oberhof Worlds: Johannes Boe crushes the pursuit with 20/20 in shooting, Quentin Fillon-Maillet 12th

There was no game. The day after his coronation in the sprint, Johannes Boe became world pursuit champion, a first for him, by not leaving the slightest chance for his opponents to come back. He achieved the 20/20, a performance only equaled this Sunday by his runner-up, Sturla Laegreid, relegated to more than a minute in the gloom of Oberhof (+1’11”). Third at 1’54”, the Swede Sebastian Samuelsson beat Tarjei Boe in the home straight to deprive the Norwegians of another hat-trick.

Undoubtedly inspired by Julia Simon’s ascent to gold, a little earlier in the afternoon, Quentin Fillon Maillet left with a knife between his teeth, going from 9th to 5th place during the first lap. Although the Olympic champion ultimately reassured himself physically (2nd ski time at 13” from the Swiss Finello), he struggled as rarely against the targets (7 laps, including five lying down). He ranked 12th and first in France (+3’18”), ten seconds ahead of Antonin Guigonnat (14th, 5 faults).

Too far after the sprint (36th) to hope to retain his world title, Emilien Jacquelin did not start. Fabien Claude shot 6 times (21st at 4’05”) and Eric Perrot four times (32nd at 5’02”). In front, far ahead, Johannes Boe continued to widen the gap at the head of the race, lap after lap, shot after shot. Tarjei Boe, 2nd in the sprint at 15”, kept his place as runner-up before committing two faults on the first standing shot. Two errors which rolled out the red carpet for his little brother, who then had a lead of more than a minute over his first pursuer.

His first title in pursuit

The wearer of the yellow and red bib could afford three errors on the last shot and still come out on top. But the Scandinavian ogre was still hungry and he let nothing pass, achieving his first 20/20 since the mass-start of the Worlds of Antholz, three years ago. This is his 20th major championship title (15 at the Worlds, five at the Olympics) but the first in pursuit. He remained on four medals in a row in this discipline at the world championships (three times 2nd then 3rd in 2021). The fifth was therefore the right one.

Here he is at three out of three in these Oberhof Worlds, which began on Wednesday with a success in the mixed relay. And he still has four opportunities left, by the end of the fortnight, to swell his huge record. Starting with the individual men’s 20km on Tuesday, where all eyes will once again be on him.