Published on January 11, 2024 at 4:09 p.m. Aurélie Sacchelli
Big favorite, Norway won the men’s relay in Ruhpolding, ahead of Germany and Italy, which overtook France in the last lap.
Four in a row for the Norwegian men’s team! Already winners in Östersund, Hochfilzen and Oberhof, the Norwegians won the fourth men’s relay of the season, in Ruhpolding, the “Mecca” of biathlon, even in the absence of their leader Johannes Boe. Big favorites given their results in the individual races, they who multiply the triplets, quadruplets or even quintuplets, Sturla Laegreid, Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, Tarjei Boe and Vetle Christiansen brought another victory to their country, with 45 seconds ahead of Germany and 59 seconds over Italy. In the first exchange, six teams were within ten seconds, the Germany of Justus Strelow (1 pick) having passed the baton in the lead, with three tenths ahead of France of Eric Perrot (3 picks). Norway was then fourth (2 picks for Laegreid). Little change during the second handover, with Germany’s Johannes Kuehn (1 pick) still ahead of France’s Emilien Jacquelin (3 picks) by a second, while Norway (3 picks for Dale-Skjevdal) was third at four seconds.
Giacomel doubles Fillon Maillet at the end
But the third stint shook up the rankings. Benedickt Doll completely missed his second shot, taking two penalty laps, and Germany found themselves sixth. It was Tarjei Boe’s Norway, author of a flawless performance, who then took control of the race, with 42 seconds ahead of France, despite the penalty lap carried out by Fabien Claude, and 43 over the Switzerland of Niklas Hartweg (author of a flawless performance). The first shot of the last relay saw Quentin Fillon Maillet not make the slightest mistake and take ten seconds back from Vetle Christiansen while taking a fourteen second lead over Philipp Nawrath’s Germany. On the last shot, “QFM”, Christiansen and Nawrath each committed a foul, but the German shot faster and came out with a nine-second lead over the Frenchman, while Norway secured their victory. Fillon Maillet then found himself battling with Italian Tommaso Giacomel, and the 23-year-old biathlete overtook him in the last lap to give Italy a podium. France takes fourth place, which remains an improvement after its seventh place in Oberhof. But the Blues have accustomed us to better… Friday, the women’s sprint will be on the menu.
WORLD CUP (M) / RUHPOLDING RELAY (GERMANY)
Final classification (4×7.5km) – Thursday January 11, 2024
1- Norway in 1h09’49 (0 penalty laps + 8 picks)
2- Germany at 45″00 (2+7)
3- Italy at 58″7 (0+10)
4- France at 1’11 (1+10)
5- Austria at 1’22 (0+2)
6- Slovenia at 1’23 (0+2)
7- Switzerland at 2’08 (0+8)
8- Sweden at 2’08 (2+11)
9- Czechia at 2’18 (1+7)
10- United States at 2’56 (2+7)
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