#French biathlon team

[everythingthatsgoingon]

Aaaaaaaand the French women take the Nations Cup ahead of Norway, Sweden, Germany and Italy.

[sportsallover]

Sophie photobombing Julia's interview on French TV and Julia being like "I'm so tired of her" with a BIG smile on her face. I love them your honor.

[footbiall]

Quelle sortie pour Anaïs ❤️

[footbiall]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

❤️❤️❤️

[cerisia76]

The fact that it's impossible to hate the Norwegian athletes even after they took the podium from a French man. Like... I can't be annoyed by them they are way too kind and nice. They just play the game better than the rest and have "luck" when they need it. Sadly skis weren't here for French team (and for Sebastian Samuelsson too).

What is terrible is the flow of insults these athletes receive. Like... stop hating on the French Team when they don't perform, stop hating on the Swedish Team when they don't perform, stop hating on the Norwegian Team when they don't - yeah no this one doesn't work.

But basically if you say you love a sport, you can't hate the people who make it live.

[baguette-jpg]

@vacancy90 was curious about what I told her about it, so here’s the beginning of their interview with some subtitles!

[sportsallover]

I wish they had given him just this week after the pause. But he’s still young, he has time to become better and get back to the World Cup.

I've just saw the news that Eric Perrot won't be in the world cup this week (and probably until the end of the season 😢). Nothing bad, it's because of his result, but i am sad to not seeing him again this season.

[juliasimongf]

Maria Sakkari please go away.

[detectiv-emerson]

мерехти, моя зірка

[sportsallover]

The girls having written CHEV ❤️ on their cheeks for Anaïs... I'm not crying, you are

[sportsallover]

The roommate interview

Émilien Jacquelin: (pointing at Antonin) Antonin Guigonnat, best roommate.

Antonin Guigonnat: (pointing at Émilien) Émilien Jacquelin, best French biathlete. (very short pause) When Quentin’s not there.

ÉJ: Good catch.

Q: Who’s the messier?

Both point at Antonin.

ÉJ: Without a doubt. Anto lives in a mess. But as we say, geniuses often live in a mess. That’s how they feel at their best. So he’s up there.

AG: Mess meaning untidiness. (In French bordel also means brothel.)

ÉJ: yeah, yeah

Q: Who takes the most stuff with them on the road?

AG: I can’t answer this. (laughs) I sometimes bring 2kg of speakers. This week, you brought one that weights how much?

ÉJ: Yeah, about that same weight. In fact, the both of us, between the two of us we bring three speakers, one or two playstations…

AG: three cameras…

ÉJ: So often the 23kg don’t consist of clothes only.

Q: Who’s the calmest?

Émilien points at Antonin, then Antonin points at himself.

ÉJ: It’s you.

AG: yeah, I don’t know, it depends… Yeah, no, it’s me.

ÉJ: Yes, yes, Anto is really the calm one. When I’m tense, he’s the one I go talk to. He always has perspective on everything and honestly it’s really helpful.

Q: Who’s always late?

Both point at Antonin.

AG: I’m proud of it.

ÉJ: You should be ashamed! He’s always late! Honestly on this point we’re not compatible at all. It pisses me off. He’s always late, it’s a pain, we have to wait for him.

Q: Who’s the funniest?

Antonin points at Émilien

AG: It’s Émilien, but it’s not on purpose.

ÉJ: Shit, I said the both of us. We’re a unit.

AG: If we could say both, I would have said both. Of course we’re hilarious.

Both laugh.

Can someone please translate this interview? :)

[footbiall]

❤️ LA REINE JUJU ❤️

Elle mérite tellement !

(📷 Nordic Focus)

[lizzie-is-drawing]

A little sketch i did when the French Biathlon team became world champion !

[baguette-jpg]

Here is the Belgium Team video that passed on l’équipe and that I found nice to translate as we’re a bit obsessed with them on the chat @vetlesclown and @vacancy90

[laeana]

“It seemed to us that their results weren't good enough to get them into Group A,” Stéphan Bouthiaux, Director of the French teams, tells Nordic Magazine.

To explain the Vosgien's relegation, the French biathlon boss points to a "sporting trajectory that stagnated at an insufficient level". "Emilien [Claude] is already twenty-five years old, and he's been in A for two years now [during the summer], then had almost similar seasons, with a good month of November, a decent start to the season, then disappeared for the rest of the winter," laments the Pontissalien native.

As for Antonin Guigonnat, the oldest French biathlete at thirty-three, Simon Fourcade reveals that the decision "was more complicated to accept, given his extensive World Cup experience and the training group he occupied". “His age played a big part in the decision," admits Stéphane Bouthiaux. He's on a downward trajectory in terms of results. For the first time [in a long time], he didn't go to the Worlds [last winter], and the few bright spots in his season simply don't merit selection in an A group at his age."

“This could be an opportunity for him to take a fresh look at himself, try to raise his level and get back into the group," confirms Simon Fourcade. The doors aren't closed, as they were for Emilien Claude, because there will be two places available at the start of the season, which will allow many athletes to aspire to the World Cup."

Excuse me, biathlon fandom, I need to vent and to rant for a bit. I know this is a bit biased because I obviously hold a lot of affection for Antonin, but I have to talk in front of such bullshit.

So recently French selection took Antonin and Emilien out of the A group. And this article then appeared as the explanations. Now, as to why I’m wildly unhappy with it;

The French team reduced their group from 7 to 5. We could argue that taking Emilien out could be justified as he had time where he didn’t race, but I feel like if you take that in account it’s even worse. He had to take a break in his season, he even thanked the trusts of his coaches, and then he’s evaluated as “he’s been stagnant for two season, he needs to be out”. When he couldn’t even compete.

Now onto the biggest case that makes me annoyed the most, Antonin. Antonin has experience, and maybe his performances aren’t stellar but he’s mostly capable and he’s a good relay (a thing France has clearly been lacking during last season - they had literally four people to do every relay).

For me Bouthiaux’s words are those of an hypocrite. Antonin did amazing results in the European championships, and yet he wasn’t selected. It’s not his fault he wasn’t at the worlds, yet it’s displayed as if it was. The French team didn’t even take six people to the worlds and Oscar didn’t do a single race.

They expect him to rival the Norwegians in the IBU cup, but let me tell you one thing. I’ve spent my year watching the IBU Cup and those Norwegians are freaking talented. Some of them have World Cup level, and what I mean by that is top ranks on the World Cup. Johan-Olav Botn is one example. And yet, Antonin still manages to get a win, podium and good positions.

When I look at Antonin and Oscar’s seasons, I find them pretty similar. But it’s not to say one is better than the others, but that both of them should be on the World Cup.

What I really mean is that the French team is playing dangerous game now. They’re not realistic. They want to pretend they can do the same thing as Norway, they want to prioritize only five people as they’re the “best”, but not everyone is Eric. They should use the people they already have in the team, instead of doing this. We saw the results of using only four people for a relay the entire season.

They keep using the arguments that “this will help them to get motivated again and bring results again”, but even when there are results, they are not rewarded.

At this rate if they want to push Antonin to retire, they wouldn’t need to do anything else.

They pushed people out of the A group, to replace them … with nobody. Honestly at some point the French team could encounter a bigger crisis and I wouldn’t even be surprised, I would say I know what caused it :/

I can’t bring myself to like those decisions and I feel like they deserve better.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

*mic drop*

[mrchiipchrome]

I’m officially revoking my status as a fan of the Swedish biathlon team and am now taking to my french side. Allez les bleus