Wednesday February 16 – Day 12
The French on the menu
Another very busy morning in Beijing on the tricolor side with two medals that could fall on waking. We count a little more on Clément Noël than Alexis Pinturault in slalom, a discipline particularly open this season in alpine skiing. First round at 3:45, we will quickly be fixed, and final answer from 6:45. Then barely time to breathe and we’ll go to the biathlon to shout behind
our female relay. Anaïs Bescond, Justine Braisaz and Julia Simon have always been on the podium this season in the World Cup. Any other result than a podium would therefore be a real disappointment. And since it’s never over, we’ll be thrilled with the classic team sprint in cross-country skiing with Lapalus and Jouve in the final, we hope.
The star of the day
Arianna Fontana, sort of Jeannie Longo of speed skating on the other side of the Alps, has already won two medals in Beijing (eleven in all in his career) against a background of conflict with his federation, because of his choice of coach. Tensions that take root in the choice of the short-tracker to opt for her husband, the former American skater Anthony Lobello, to train her in Hungary.
“Everyone has their opinion, I have mine. I remain convinced that choosing, several years ago, Anthony as coach was the right and the best choice and last night’s gold medal is proof of that, ”explained Fontana on the evening of his first gold medal. , hinting that it could boycott the 2026 Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. In the meantime, she can go home with a final medal in the 1,500m, where Gwendoline Daudet and Tifany Huot-Marchand will also be competing.
The paper not to miss
The American-Chinese Eileen Lu, a real star in China, enchants the Games with two medals. But his freedom of speech seriously annoys the communist regime.
Freestyler Eileen Gu, where the embarrassing Chinese war prize via @20minutesSport https://t.co/ll8OpQUdJm
— 20 Minutes Sport (@20minutesSport) February 15, 2022