Winter Olympics 2022 - Fillon Maillet wins individual biathlon gold as Thingnes Boe settles for bronze

French biathlon star Quentin Fillon Maillet won his first Olympic gold medal by outpacing his big rival Johannes Thingnes Boe in the men's 20km individual race, with the Norwegian defending champion having to settle for bronze. It was a measure of revenge for Fillon Maillet, who narrowly lost a sprint to the finish against Thingnes Boe in the mixed team team relay on Saturday as France finished second to Norway.

Ad/> Fillon Maillet and Thingnes Boe both missed two targets — leading to time penalties — but the Frenchman was faster on the skis to finish in 48:47.4. Belarus' Anton Smolski, the only athlete to hit all 20 targets in the shooting, grabbed silver 14.8 seconds behind while Boe finished 31.1 seconds behind.

Beijing 2022'That's nasty!' — Referee's face 'sliced by stick' in ice hockey matchAN HOUR AGO Fillon Maillet has been dominant on the World Cup circuit this season and now adds a first Olympic title to a resume that also includes two world championship golds. Thingnes Boe, the 2018 champion in the individual race, had a great chance for another gold before missing a shot on the final range.

That meant he had a near-impossible gap to make up, and while he reduced the deficit by nine seconds the Frenchman held on for gold. When it became clear that his time would not be beaten, Fillon Maillet shared a hug in the finish area with Martin Fourcade, the retired French biathlon great who won three gold medals in Pyeongchang in 2018.