Braisaz-Bouchet, a hat-trick for history. Metamorphosed since her return to competition after the birth of her first child, the Savoyard biathlete has once again produced a small masterpiece on the Swiss track of Lenzerheide. Already victorious in the sprint and the pursuit, the Tricolore won the hat-trick with the 12.5 km mass start on Sunday (20/20). A historic performance that has only been achieved once before by a Frenchwoman, Sandrine Bailly. Allies of circumstance, the Oeberg sisters took second (Elvira, 18/20) and third place (Hanna, 18/20) behind the Frenchwoman, allowing her to at the same time don the yellow bib of leader of the Coupe du world.
Total shooting mastery
The end of year celebrations promise to be very beautiful for the Braisaz-Bouchets. Always nestled on her cloud, the Savoyard displayed a disconcerting mastery against the targets on Sunday, with an exceptional 20/20 to boot. Without ever forcing her shot, the Savoyard took her time each time, aware of her advantage over the spatulas. After a first loop spent in the shade, Braisaz-Bouchet took the light at the exit of the first prone shot.
Never panicked, the French biathlete carefully set her pace, without overplaying. A strategy that paid off since the Savoyarde never seemed in difficulty on the mats, the rifle firmly screwed against her right shoulder. Unmoved, the Frenchwoman logically decided to take off after the first standing shot, just to give herself a ball of margin. She ultimately didn’t need it.
Second tricolor hat-trick in history
Only the express return of the Oeberg sisters in the last lap was able, for a moment, to bring a cold sweat to the foreheads of the French supporters who came in large numbers to the Swiss site. But Braisaz-Bouchet still had something under his belt to win for the eighth time in his career, the third in a row at Lenzerheide. A resounding hat-trick only achieved by Sandrine Bailly among the French in history, almost 19 years ago (in Pokljuka, during the winter of 2004-2005).
This performance also, and above all, opens the horizon of conquering the big globe. New holder of the yellow leader’s bib after Ingrid Tandrevold’s fifth place (18/20), the Savoyard will have plenty of time during the holidays to nurture the ambition of an overall victory in the World Cup.
The holder of this big globe, Julia Simon, decided to play on Sunday, with committed shots (17/20) and an assumed role on the track. Finally sixth at the cost of a remarkable last lap, the biathlete from Les Saisies confirms day after day her return to the forefront. Until the next stage: joining the fight for the big globe, where his compatriot is waiting for him.