The sanction was announced for each missed shot. A lost ball was equivalent to a 45-second penalty this Wednesday on the Nove Mesto individual. In the Czech Republic, Éric Perrot was vaccinated against any unpleasant surprises: the 24-year-old Frenchman achieved an impressive 20/20 in mastery on the shooting range. The leader of the French delegation took care of the rest during the circuit laps. As a result, he won the second individual victory of his season. All this, just two weeks before the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.
Just as brilliant on the shooting range, Émilien Jacquelin took second place. With Oscar Lombardot’s 4th place, the Blues came close to winning the hat-trick. Second in the Ruhpolding pursuit, Perrot sent a message to the competition before the 2026 Olympics. Reigning world champion in the individual event, he once again put the spotlight on him, while victory had eluded him in this event since the start of winter. The French biathlete achieved his successes in relays or in the pursuit of Hochfilzen, in Austria.
Jacquelin, number 2
In Nove Mesto, a duel between the French and the Italians quickly took shape. In the end, the Blues largely emerged victorious. If Lukas Hofer signed a flawless performance, the Transalpine rider was slower than Jacquelin, only beaten by Perrot on the finish line.
Jacquelin was still more than 41″ behind the winner – 54″ for Hofer -, proof of Perrot’s domination in the Czech Republic. Other French people shone: Lombardot and Émilien Claude took 4th and 6th positions respectively. In the general classification of the World Cup, the hero of the day is closing in on leader Tommaso Giacomel.
Worth a look
