Biathlon-French entertainer Jacquelin finally finds freedom to be himself

ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 21 : French biathlete Emilien Jacquelin has lit up the Winter Games with his swashbuckling skiing and rapid-fire shooting, but perhaps even more important than winning medals is the fact that he was finally able to be true to himself. 

No-one who saw him compete at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena could ever imagine that the brash 30-year-old might be plagued by self-doubt. Yet it was only at this Olympics - his third - that Jacquelin felt able to show his real self. 

"I always say to French media, 'Yeah, this year, I really want to express myself', and then I don't, because I'm so afraid to do bad and I struggle, but this year I enjoyed every race," he told Reuters after his final event of the Games, Friday's mass start. 

The flamboyant Frenchman made the running early in that race but fell away after missing four of his five shots on a disastrous third visit to the range, and he eventually finished 12th, more than two-and-a-half minutes after winner Johannes Dale-Skjevdal of Norway. 

Ever the entertainer, five-time world champion Jacquelin continued the chase regardless. 

"I tried so hard to do great and it was the opposite that happened, so after that, I knew that the race was over for me. I just enjoyed it with the crowd, with the (French team) staff. I tried to shoot really fast in the last one," he explained with a wry smile. 

TRASH-TALKING WITH THE NORWEGIANS

There was also a bit of trash-talking out on the course as Jacquelin found himself alone against three Norwegians on the second lap. 

"I felt that they wanted me to pass, and I was like, 'No man, you are three, I'm alone, please leave me alone and go on ... because I talked, Johannes (Dale-Skjevdal) told me, 'Oh, stay calm', and after that