Quentin Fillon Maillet takes second in mass start in Otepaa to clinch overall biathlon crystal globe

BySportsbeat

Updated 12/03/2022 at 16:39 GMT

Frenchman sets sights on discipline titles after World Cup success. Fillon Maillet said: "It was more or less official, my aim wasn't to finish 23rd, it was to win. My goal of the big crystal globe was gone. Now the objective is to win the mass start crystal globe, it's a good day even if there was some frustration because the Norwegian was not far away.

Fillon Maillet à Otepää

Image credit: Getty Images

Quentin Fillon Maillet became the fourth Frenchman to win the overall biathlon crystal globe with second place in the mass start in Otepaa enough to clinch the title.

The Frenchman was all but guaranteed to take the overall World Cup title, needing to finish in the top 23 to be certain of doing so this weekend.

He went much better than that though, with only a miss on his first standing shoot denying him a fourth successive World Cup win since the Olympics where he won five medals including two golds.

Canmore, AB

Highlights: Jeanmonnot wins season-ending 12.5km mass start, Vittozzi claims World Cup title

00:03:01

17/03/2024 at 19:24

It was Norway's Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen who took advantage of the miss to take the victory, with another Norwegian, Sivert Guttorm Bakken, coming third.

Fillon Maillet follows in the footsteps of Patrice Bailly Salins, Raphael Poire and the legendary Martin Fourcade in winning the overall title.

But the 29-year-old insists that he is not about to ease off with the small crystal globes still up for grabs in the sprint and the mass start next week, he leads in both, having already wrapped up the pursuit crown.

Fillon Maillet said: "It was more or less official, my aim wasn't to finish 23rd, it was to win. My goal of the big crystal globe was gone. Now the objective is to win the mass start crystal globe, it's a good day even if there was some frustration because the Norwegian was not far away.

"I won't celebrate necessarily, I've still got some things to go and get. I've got my whole life to enjoy the medals. The aim is not to finish with some average performances. I love what I do, I enjoy skiing and training more than partying. I'm happy when I give it everything on the skis. Until the final race of the season, I will be giving it 100 percent."

Meanwhile in the women's overall standings, Elvira Oeberg closed the gap on Marte Olsbu Roeiseland with victory in the mass start.

The Norwegian remains the red-hot favourite to take the title, taking third place on the day, with Denise Herrmann splitting the top two.

Roeiseland looked set to take the win at the halfway stage, but a miss on the third shoot opened up the chance for Franziska Preuss, who came into the final range with sizable advantage.

But her miss allowed the field to come back, with Oeberg emerging first and then having the speed to take the victory.

Roeiseland still leads the overall World Cup by 82 points with just three remaining races in Oslo.

Biathlon