ANTERSELVA, ITALY — Quentin Fillon Maillet seized bronze in the men’s biathlon mass start at the Milano Cortina Olympics, etching his name alone as France’s most decorated Olympian ever with a ninth career medal. The 33-year-old overcame four shooting misses through sheer skiing dominance, surging past Germany’s Philipp Horn on the final lap to secure the podium.
Despite shaky range work, Fillon Maillet’s relentless pace propelled him back into the hunt, clinching the bronze in a grueling finale. “Today it was a tough competition, but I felt super-fast on the skis, and it was necessary to take the bronze,” he told reporters post-race.
The victory eclipses the eight-medal hauls of 1920s-1930s fencers Philippe Cattiau and Roger Ducret, marking a historic leap nearly a century later. “I am so proud of myself because it’s my ninth medal, and so I’ve become the best athlete in the French team, winter or summer,” Fillon Maillet said, reflecting on surpassing legends through experience and grit.
He credited tactical savvy on the last loop: trailing Horn out of the final range, he pushed hard to catch and overtake. “I am sorry for Germany, but it was a very tough last loop.”
At 33, the sharpshooter eyes 2030: “If I want to do it, I need to manage my time with my family… But why not? “His medal tally cements a legacy of panache and power in biathlon.