Fillon Maillet and Jeanmonnot Claim WCH Title in Single Mixed Relay

Thursday evening brought an exhilarating spectacle to the Vysočina Arena in Nove Mesto na Morave as spectators eagerly gathered to witness the climax of the IBU World Championships Single Mixed Relay. Amidst a tense atmosphere, the battle for gold unfolded with gripping intensity, each shot determining the fate of victory. Lou Jeanmonnot's composure under pressure ultimately sealed the triumph, as she and Quentin Fillon Maillet claimed France's second-ever world championship title in this discipline’s history. Italy secured a commendable second place, while the Norwegian team clinched the bronze medal.

The race unfolded under the dominance of duos hailing from France and Norway, their precision and speed granting them a substantial lead of approximately 30 seconds ahead of the trailing pack. As the final shooting approached, Lou Jeanmonnot and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold found themselves neck and neck. Demonstrating remarkable accuracy, Jeanmonnot, using six bullets, hit all five targets, while Tandrevold, as in her previous races, missed some shots and had to run a penalty loop. With this turn of events, Jeanmonnot secured a comfortable path to the finish line, where Quentin Fillon Maillet awaited her, marking his second gold medal in the championship following a previous triumph in the Mixed Relay event. They both missed only three shots in total.

“That was only my second single mixed relay appearance. The first one was at the French Cup, so it is amazing to become a world champion. Thank you to Lou, who finished a great job,” said Fillon Maillet.

“This kind of competition is always very stressful. At the last shooting, when I heard that Ingrid was missing a lot of bullets, I thought: keep your head in your shots, and it will be ok. It was tough, but we have succeeded”, said Jeanmonnot.

France has secured its second gold medal in the history of the Single Mixed Relay at the World Championships. The previous victory occurred two years ago in Pokljuka when Antonin Guigonnat and Julia Simon emerged victorious.

Tandrevold's penalty relegated her to start the final 1.5 km leg in third position, trailing behind Lisa Vittozzi by a few seconds. Despite this setback, the Norwegian swiftly surpassed the Italian. Vittozzi didn’t give up and launched a counterattack at the last uphill before the finish. This tactic paid off as she successfully finished in the second-place position. This performance marked an improvement for the Giacomel-Vittozzi duo from last year's third-place finish in Oberhof. At the same time, Tandrevold may have felt disappointed, having been the first to approach the final shooting and ultimately crossing the finish line in third place. Nevertheless, Norway's stronghold in the single mixed relay persisted, maintaining their podium streak across all five world championship races in this discipline since 2019. Johannes Thingnes Boe clinched his fifth medal, boasting an impressive tally of two gold, two silver, and one bronze with two competitions remaining in the event.

2024 IBU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS NOVE MESTO NA MORAVE SINGLE MIXED RELAY

Sebastian Samuelsson and Hanna Oeberg missed their third World Championship medal in a single mixed relay. Bronze medallists from Ostersund and Pokljuka had to settle for only fourth place. Their hopes for a podium finish were dashed by shooting inaccuracy, with a total of thirteen misses. Niklas Hartweg and Lena Haecki Gross claimed fifth place with six additional bullets. Despite only four missed shots, Justus Strelow and Vanessa Voight, unable to replicate their success in Antholz, settled for only sixth place. The top ten also featured relay teams from the USA, Latvia, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Photos: IBU/ Vianney Thibaut, Nordic Focus

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