Eder’s Olympic Farewell: France Wins Biathlon Relay Gold in Antholz

ANTERSELVA, Italy – France secured its first Olympic gold medal in the men’s biathlon relay on Tuesday, stunning the defending champions from Norway in a dramatic finish at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Antholz-Anterselva. The French team, comprised of Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet, and Eric Perrot, completed the 4×7.5-kilometer relay in 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 55.2 seconds, finishing just 9.8 seconds ahead of Norway.

The victory marks a significant milestone for French biathlon, with their previous relay medals consisting of bronze finishes in 2002 and 2006. “It’s so big for me, for the whole team,” said Eric Perrot. “The French biathlon team has for so many years pushed really hard to win the relay gold medal, and today we represent all those guys who pushed hard for it. I am so proud to be a part of this team.”

The race unfolded as a captivating contest, with France overcoming a challenging start to ultimately claim the top spot. Fabien Claude, the opening leg for France, faced a penalty, putting his team at a disadvantage. However, Jacquelin quickly regained ground, putting France back into contention. Quentin Fillon Maillet maintained the momentum, setting the stage for a thrilling final leg.

Eric Perrot, anchoring the French team, navigated a tense final loop, missing two shots in his last standing shoot. Despite the pressure, he held a seven-second lead over Norway’s Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen heading into the final ski tracks. Perrot successfully defended his lead, crossing the finish line to secure the gold medal.

Norway, the pre-race favorites and reigning world champions, settled for silver with a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 4.0 seconds. The Norwegian team consisted of Martin Uldal, Johan-Olav Botn, Sturla Holm Laegreid, and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen. Laegreid and Christiansen were both members of the gold medal-winning Norwegian team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

“Today our eyes were set on gold,” said Laegreid. “To get silver is almost like losing gold.”

Sweden secured the bronze medal, finishing less than a minute behind France. The Swedish team, anchored by Sebastian Samuelsson, completed the relay with a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 58.0 seconds. Viktor Brandt, Jesper Nelin, and Martin Ponsiluoma also contributed to Sweden’s podium finish. Ponsiluoma recently won gold in the pursuit race on Sunday.

The United States finished fifth, trailing the leaders by 2.5 minutes.

The race also marked the final Olympic appearance for Austrian biathlete Simon Eder, who has competed in 27 Winter Olympic events. Eder and his Austrian teammates – Dominik Unterweger, Fabian Müllauer, and Patrick Jakob – finished tenth, achieving their best relay result of the season with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes, and 58.0 seconds. The Austrian team impressed with their shooting accuracy, using only seven spare rounds.

“That’s why final runner Jakob goes into the final lap in sixth place, but there the 29-year-old Tyrolean runs out of seeds,” a report noted. “Austria took tenth place (+3:03.3 minutes).”

The French victory adds to their medal haul at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Perrot and Fillon Maillet previously won gold in the mixed relay alongside Lou Jeanmonnot and Julia Simon on February 8th. Perrot also earned a silver medal in the individual race, while Fillon Maillet claimed gold in the sprint and Jacquelin secured bronze in the pursuit.

The 2025-26 Biathlon World Cup season, organized by the International Biathlon Union (IBU), has been highlighted by strong performances from Eric Perrot and Lou Jeanmonnot, who have both dominated individual events. Perrot currently leads in the individual, sprint, and pursuit disciplines, while Jeanmonnot is the frontrunner in the women’s competition. Norway currently leads the Nations Cup standings.

The biathlon events at the 2026 Winter Olympics are being held in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy, and the results from these competitions are not included in the official World Cup standings.