ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- France overcame a disastrous first leg that dropped them to last place, rallying to claim its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the men's 4x7.5km biathlon relay at the Milan-Cortina Games on Tuesday.
After Fabien Claude was sent to the penalty loop in the first leg, France's remaining three athletes staged a remarkable comeback with steady shooting and fast skiing. The French quartet clocked a winning time of 1:19:55.2.
Norway, regarded as one of the top pre-race favorites, saw all four of its athletes shoot clean, using just six spares - three fewer than France. However, they were slightly outmatched on the skis and ultimately had to settle for silver, finishing 9.8 seconds behind the winner. Sweden also recorded zero penalty loops and used six spares, earning the bronze medal 57.5 seconds back.
Claude, whose career shooting accuracy stands at just 60 percent, set the stage for a dramatic race. He unraveled in the standing shooting, exhausting all three spares and incurring a penalty loop. When Emilien Jacquelin took over on the second leg, France was ranked last among all teams, trailing then-leader Norway by 50.3 seconds.
Jacquelin rose to the challenge, using only one spare across his two shooting bouts and relying on exceptional skiing speed to haul France back into the lead. Quentin Fillon Maillet and Eric Perrot, on the third and fourth legs, then managed the advantage. Perrot produced a fast and composed standing shoot on the anchor leg to seal victory.
Snow fell over the Anterselva Biathlon Arena throughout the race, but the wintry conditions did little to dampen the spectacle. Renowned German football coach Jurgen Klopp was among the spectators and rang the bell to signal the final lap.
Given the venue's proximity to Germany, large numbers of German fans have attended nearly every event at these Games. But so far, the country's only biathlon medal came in the opening mixed 4x6 km relay, where they won bronze. In Tuesday's relay, Germany finished fourth, one minute 48.3 seconds behind the champion.
The women's 4x6km relay will be held on Wednesday.
