France won its ninth medal, the second bronze, in the 4×10 km relay on Sunday in cross-country skiing.
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The honor is except for the French cross-country skiing team which retained its place on the podium of the 4×10 km relay at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday February 13. Since 2014, the Blues have subscribed to the bronze medal. Richard Jouve, Hugo Lapalus, Clément Parisse and Maurice Manificat rode a perfect race to reach the third step of the podium 1’16″4 behind Russia, well above the lot with Chervotkin, Bolshunov, Spitsov and Ustiugov, and the Norway by Johannes Klaebo.
Placed as a pitcher on the first stint in classic, Richard Jouve did not seem very comfortable. While Alexey Chervotkin dynamited the race by escaping in the 4th kilometer, the Frenchman wedged himself into the group of pursuers, most often in the skis of Emil Iversen, before giving up a handful of seconds in the last kilometer.
It took a huge effort from Hugo Lapalus in the second part of his stint to get back in touch with the medal-winning nations. It is an elimination race which was preparing for the last two relays in skating. A match of five for the last two places on the podium as it was certain that the Russians were going to win after Bolshunov’s relay, already crowned in skiathlon at the very start of the Games.
One minute behind the Russian Olympic Committee, Norway led the chase through Hans Christer Holund. The imposed rhythm took Finland and Germany out of the game. Strong at the start of the relay, Clément Parisse gritted his teeth but managed to launch Maurice Manificat ideally, already from the last two French Olympic podiums and the greatest tricolor cross-country skier in history (10 World Cup victories). In delicacy in the descents where the slide seemed to be lacking, the cross-country skier from Haute-Savoie gave everything in the bumps to let go of the Swede.
He succeeded less than five kilometers from the goal, even toasting the priority to the Norwegian Johannes Klaebo. Unsurprisingly, the latter gave a final push to win the Frenchman and secure the silver 1’07″2 behind the Russians. At 35, “Momo” could savor his third Olympic medal. arrival, his teammates could carry him in triumph.