France’s Biathlon Domination Continues with Eric Perrot’s Individual World Title
The French biathlon team has extended its remarkable run of success at the World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, amassing nine medals in seven races. Eric Perrot added a gold medal to the tally in the individual event on Wednesday, February 19, just a day after Julia Simon’s triumph in the same discipline. Perrot had already secured a podium finish with a bronze in the pursuit race on Sunday.
The individual competition is a unforgiving race against the clock, where each missed shot on the shooting range incurs a one-minute penalty. From the outset of the five 4-kilometer loops, Perrot displayed his exceptional skiing speed on the Roland Arena track, overcoming the warm and challenging weather conditions. With his parents, former biathletes Franck Perrot and Tone Marit Oftedal, watching on, the young Frenchman notched up a clean sheet in the first prone shooting stage, taking the lead in the race.
Despite a single error in the second standing shooting stage, Perrot maintained his advantage until Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel registered a perfect 10/10, followed by 15/15. Unfazed by the capricious wind conditions, Perrot made subtle adjustments to his rifle and executed a masterful 14/15 performance. The 23-year-old approached the final shooting stage with the same determination and composure, extending his lead with a 19/20 display before powering through the final lap.
At this point, only Giacomel could deny Perrot the title with a flawless shooting performance. However, the Italian faltered in the last shooting stage (19/20), settling for the silver medal (42 seconds behind). Another Frenchman, Quentin Fillon Maillet, claimed the bronze medal with the second-fastest skiing time (2 minutes behind).
Perrot, currently third in the World Cup overall standings, had set his sights on gold before the Championships. "I came here for the gold," he declared. "It’s crazy how much I dreamed of it. I feel like I just did my job, but at the same time, I’m experiencing a mix of emotions that I’ve rarely felt before. At the end of the race, I knew I was playing for something big… I was thinking to myself, ‘Am I racing for gold or silver?’ It was a bit of a strange feeling. To be on top of the world for a few seconds, it feels amazing."
Following this triumph, Perrot, a rising star in French biathlon, aims to "write his own little piece of history." "Today is a milestone," he said. "I’m hungry for victories, and I love what I do. This combination will drive me to seek more success."
Notably, no Norwegian athlete made it onto the podium, a rare occurrence in these World Championships.
