Medals and motherhood: Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet stronger than ever

Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet is certainly enjoying herself at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

The French biathlete told Olympics.com before the Games that having daughter Emie, now aged two, had helped put her sporting career into perspective.

She said, "The Olympics is a goal I worked for and I want a medal. But if I go home without it, it won't be the failure of my life because I have something else at home."

Perhaps freed of the pressure and expectation many athletes feel, Chevalier-Bouchet has already won two silver medals from two events in Beijing.

The 28-year-old was part of France's mixed relay team - alongside Julia Simon, Emilien Jacquelin and Quentin Fillon-Maillet - which chased home Norway on Saturday (5 February).

Then on Monday, she took second place in the 15km individual behind Germany's Denise Herrmann.

Chevalier-Bouchet is one of the first athletes to win two medals in Beijing, and she could be in line for more.

Chevalier-Bouchet's new motivation

The relay bronze medal from PyeongChang 2018 at her second Olympics was special.

But Chevalier-Bouchet felt she was not in the best of shape, physically or mentally, to achieve the success she craved.

Fast-forward four years, and the Frenchwoman has been nothing short of spectacular with her silver in the individual a vast improvement from 28th at PyeongChang.

Speaking to French newspaper Le Figaro after the mixed relay, she said, "I did not arrive in Pyeongchang in the right state of mind.

"I arrived in Beijing with a different mindset than the previous two. I have become more demanding. I have also progressed physically. In shooting, I feel stronger, at my peak of maturity.

“Clearly, I have ambitions. I want to bring home at least one medal and I think I have the means to do so. In any case, I worked very hard to achieve this. And that would make such a beautiful memory for Emie.”

The biathlete is clearly relishing being a sporting mum and, like many top athletes returning to sport after childbirth, has embraced the challenge of getting back into sport shape.

"I approach things differently. I no longer live for myself. Above all, I know why I'm leaving. If I leave my daughter to go to a World Cup stage, it's no longer to finish 20th. I'd rather spend time with my daughter than run bad errands."

The three-time World Championship bronze medallist continued on how motherhood changed her outlook on life, “Becoming a mother brought me a form of detachment. In the past, I would dwell on a failure for days. I had trouble moving on.

“Now I have more perspective, I can more easily tell myself that it's only sport when I have my daughter. I'm not going to say that my priorities have totally changed, because that's not 100% true. Biathlon still occupies a very important place. Life just doesn't revolve around that anymore."

Chevalier-Bouchet, who has been competing in biathlon since she was 13, previously opened up on how she found it hard to regain her physical shape after childbirth.

"I lost a lot of muscle, it was pretty amazing, […] I no longer had a sports body," she told Olympics.com.

“When you're athletic, you're really aware of your body [...] and I think you're always in control of what you're doing and there, in the end, things escape us a little."

But she also took great lessons from the birthing experience which have helped her as an athlete.

"I learned in every way. Mostly, at the level of pain. When you play sports, you hurt yourself, but it's actually OK,” she said. “It opened my eyes to this: a lot of things are mental, and the body can handle a lot more than you think."

In all, Chevalier-Bouchet could take part in six races at the Games with her next race the 7.5km sprint on Friday 11 February.

Then comes the 10km pursuit on Sunday, the women's 4x6km relay on Wednesday and then finally the 12.5km mass start on Saturday 19 February.

MORE: Biathlon at Beijing 2022 - full schedule and where to watch