Medals update: Quentin Fillon Maillet races to biathlon men’s 20km individual gold in Beijing 2022 Biathlon

French biathlon ace Quentin Fillon Maillet skied like a man possessed to wipe out a two-minute penalty disadvantage to win the men’s 20km individual gold medal at Beijing 2022 on Tuesday (8 February).

Fillon Maillet is only the second Frenchman after Martin Fourcade in Sochi 2014 to win the gold medal in the event at the Olympic Winter Games. The 29-year-old added to the mixed 4x6km relay silver medal he won over the weekend.

Fillon Maillet had to rely on a skiing blitz after his shooting on the range put him at a disadvantage after missing two targets – on the first standing and second prone section – costing him two minutes on his time.

He crossed the line in a time of 48:47.4, beating the clean-shooting Anton Smolski (49:02.20) by nearly 15 seconds. Boe, no slouch on the course, also missed two targets but still managed to win his second medal in the event downgrading from the gold he won in PyeongChang 2018.

"Maybe it looked easy but it was so hard today. With two misses in the shooting I never expected the victory - maybe the podium. It was amazing," Fillon Maillet said.
"Four years ago it was so hard for me at the Olympic Games. I wanted to dream of an Olympics like this. We started very well with the mixed relay, and today (raced) in a good way for the victory."

Developing a taste for silverware

Fillon Maillet came into his second Winter Olympics as one of the title contenders topping the Biathlon World Cup standings but without a major international individual victory behind his name.

But the determined Frenchman would not be denied despite his two missed shots posting the fastest time on the course, clocking 43:17.2. He was 21 seconds quicker than Boe, the second-fastest man of the day.

With the taste of silverware still fresh in his mouth, Fillon Maillet is looking to add more to his Beijing tally with the men's 15km mass start and 4x7.5km relay still to come.

"It's less pressure right now for the next race. I'm very confident in my shooting and my skiing, and I trust a lot in me, and that's the key for getting the gold today," Fillon Maillet said.

"I worked so hard for this, and it's an amazing day for me."

Already boasting an impressive collection of Olympic medals, Boe added his fifth over two editions including the gold he won in the mixed 4x6km relay.

"I put myself in a gold-medal situation, but I didn't manage to shoot clean on the last. It's a tough one, it's challenging. We try as hard as we can and someone makes it and someone doesn't,” Boe said.

"I'm really satisfied. The mixed relay was a fantastic race for me. It will be one of the races I remember because it was so unlikely for me to finish first like that. Today as well; a medal is what we come for, so I'm very happy."

Biathlon men’s 20km individual

1- Quentin Fillon Maillet (FRA) 48:47.4

2- Anton Smolski (BLR) 49:02.2

3- Johannes Thingness Boe (NOR) 49:18.5