They dropped like flies, one after another. First Johannes Boe, then Maksim Tsvetkov, and finally Tarjei Boe. All dropped a ball along the way on the last standing shot of the Olympic individual. Quentin Fillon-Maillet, who had certainly already grilled two jokers, is the only one who has not failed on the last. A matter of solid nerves and good habit: QFM is the strongest on the circuit on standing shots.
To summarize the idea in numbers, the French biathlete finished last season with 89% success on this exercise dreaded by the majority of shooters. “It has always been someone with a rate of fire but also this possibility of being able to slow down and pose, analyzes the former shooting coach of the French teams, Franck Badiou. This is called the double partition. He’s had it on his feet for a long time. “A formidable weapon which, coupled with his immense skiing times – the best Tuesday – have made him practically untouchable for months, without the pressure of the Olympics changing anything.
The sagouins and the nitpickers
Should we also see, in the collective fall of his adversaries and the clemency of the hunting deities towards the French, the reward to a man who has always treated his working tool with the greatest care? Already contacted by 20 minutes after saving the QFM rifle in extremis at the start of the season to tell us about the adventures Franck Badiou, classified the athletes into two categories. “The sagouins without consideration for their weapon, and the others, the tinkerers, those who like beautiful finished things. »
Little I loved Lego, I kept this passion but this time without instructions! 🔩⚙️ 🔫 pic.twitter.com/fQ0qh263YN
— Quentin Fillon Maillet (@quentinfillon) May 2, 2020
Fillon-Maillet naturally appears in the second caste. The Haut-Jurassien has taken pleasure in designing his own rifles since 2009, through studies in industrial design, a logical continuation of the time when he made crossbows in the family carpentry workshop. The detail is important, because QFM knows the virtues of each wood inside out. You have to listen to him talk about it to understand.
“I made rifles myself out of walnut wood. It is a wood that is solid and absorbent at the start of the shot, unlike aluminum or carbon rifles, whose reactions are a little harsh. Wood is really a great compromise. »
But the rifle is not enough. Its reliability increases the chances of success, but it remains basically the simple receptacle of the sensations of its owner. It is he who blows, trembles or, on the contrary, relaxes. To cross the Olympic course – and even that of the individual, a format which did not suit him – Quentin Fillon-Maillet went for a short walk on the side of the GIGN. “I wanted to see how they handle a situation of extreme stress on a mission, he explained to L’Equipewhen they play their life, see how they manage their emotions…”
Work with the GIGN, just work
On site, in Satory and in a training camp in the Ile-de-France, we made the champion work in thankless conditions: cardio in the red, arms congested to death, targets of different shapes. “He was able to understand our stress management, confided a soldier. There is no room for error. “In biathlon, there is fortunately a little more leeway, even if the individual rarely forgives. “With two faults, I did not imagine being able to win”, was also surprised the new Olympic champion in the mixed zone. The victory of the lucky star, but above all “that of work”, insists the coach of the Blues, Vincent Vittoz. “He’s never been the most gifted but he never gives up and he always believes in himself. And in his rifle.