Biathlon: Fourcade can become France's greatest Olympian
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[February 13, 2018]
By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) - Martin Fourcade
joined a select club of triple champions by winning the Olympic
biathlon pursuit on Monday and is on course to become the most
successful French Olympian.
Victory in the 20km individual or the mass start would take him past
Jean-Claude Killy (Alpine skiing), Paul Masson (cycling), Felicia
Ballanger (track cycling), Marie-Jose Perec (athletics) and Tony
Estanguet (canoeing) who all won three individual Olympic titles.
Fourcade disappointed in the sprint event when he finished eighth
after three shooting errors, the first time this season he failed to
make the podium, but he reacted in style in the pursuit to add to
his two titles from Sochi four years ago.
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"The master has spoken. Martin is a great champion," said Killy, who
won his three gold medals at the Grenoble Olympics in 1968.
Biathlon great Ole-Einar Bjoerndalen, who did not qualify for
Pyeongchang but has eight Olympic titles to his name, has little
doubt Fourcade will claim more medals.
"This victory does not make him more favorite for the other races.
Martin is the hyper favorite for every race anyway," the Norwegian
told French sports daily L'Equipe.
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![](../images/021318pics/sports53.jpg)
Gold medalist Martin Fourcade of France on the podium. REUTERS/Eric
Gaillard
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Fourcade's brother Simon, a biathlon world champion, has no doubt
there will be more titles for Martin.
"He can manage his emotions like no one else and that's something
he's been doing since he was a kid," he told L'Equipe.
"Now he feels free and I don't need to tell anyone what it can
result in."
Fourcade's first opportunity will be on Thursday with the 20km
individual event and his second comes in the mass start three days
later.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot,; Editing by Ed Osmond)
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