Fans celebrate dramatic victory as France wins historic olympic gold in men’s biathlon relay

Fans celebrate dramatic victory as France wins historic olympic gold in men’s biathlon relay
France’s Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Eric Perrot celebrate their gold medal during the victory ceremony, 17 Feb, 2026
Reuters

French supporters celebrated outside the biathlon stadium in Anterselva on Tuesday (17 February) after France claimed Olympic gold in the men’s relay, describing the race as thrilling and the atmosphere electric.

France’s Eric Perrot held his nerve despite a wobble on the final shoot and a late charge from Norway’s Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen to secure a historic first Olympic men’s relay gold for his country.

Fans leaving the arena said the victory made the occasion even more special. Francois Decaix described the atmosphere as wonderful, saying the combination of a great race and a French win made it “all happiness”. He added that supporters are now aiming for another gold in Wednesday’s relays, hoping for further success in both the men’s and women’s events.

There was also praise from rival supporters. Norway’s Snorre Fossum said the team had performed very well and singled out Johannes Klaebo as “fantastic”.

Swedish fan Henrik Tengqvist called the race “fantastic” and “exciting”, noting that while it might have been even better had Sweden secured gold, a podium finish was still a strong result — particularly given recent challenges facing Swedish biathletes. Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson shot clean in his final visit to the range to seal bronze for his team.

German supporter Sven Seitter admitted a medal would have been welcome but said the French were “unbeatable” on the day. Another French fan, Jean-Marc Meziat, described the race as a tight contest, particularly against Germany, and expressed sympathy for Italy, which finished further back.

As crowds streamed out of the stadium, attention was already turning to Wednesday’s women’s relay (February 18), with French supporters hopeful that the team can build on the momentum of Tuesday’s victory.

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