Winter Olympics 2022 - Johannes Thingnes Boe wins fourth Beijing gold as Quentin Fillon Maillet misses out on history

Johannes Thingnes Boe was too good for the rest of the field in the final biathlon event in Beijing, winning the 15km mass start for his fourth gold medal as Quentin Fillon Maillet missed out on making Winter Olympics history with an uncharacteristic poor shooting display. Thingnes Boe's victory gave him a fifth medal overall at the Games, with Sweden's Martin Ponsiluoma claiming the first Olympic podium of his career by claiming silver as Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen took bronze.

Ad/> Fillon Mallet finished fourth as he looked to become the first athlete to win six medals at a single Winter Olympic Games, having already collected two golds and three silvers. /> Beijing 2022'Incredible' — Braisaz-Bouchet wins 'brave' biathlon gold for France35 MINUTES AGO /> Fillon Maillet burst out from the start in an attempt to control the race, but Thingnes Boe was not having it, sticking with the Frenchman and taking the lead around the 1.5km mark.

It was neck-and-neck going into the first prone shoot and both leading men missed one shot, meaning they had to take an early penalty lap. Ten athletes went clear at the shoot and it made Sweden’s Sebastian Samuelsson the new leader ahead of Canadian brothers Christian and Scott Bow, but there was still plenty of time for things to change.

Less than a kilometre after exiting the shoot, Fillon Maillet and Thingnes Boe had already clawed back time, as Scott Gow went to the front. By the time the athletes came into the second prone shoot, Thingnes Boe had gone back to the front ahead of Fillon Mallet — but wind was all over the place with its direction.

Thingnes Boe cleared the range but Fillot Mallet missed one, so he again had to claw some serious time back. The Norwegian was now faced with