Excitement in Oberhof
Olympic champion demands punishment for French biathletes
01/12/2026 – 1:06 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The Biathlon World Cup stopped in Oberhof at the weekend. An action by the Frenchman Émilien Jacquelin sparks discussions. Ex-professional Björn Ferry makes it clear.
On Sunday, French biathlete Émilien Jacquelin delivered an upset in the men’s relay race in Oberhof. The 30-year-old had to reload at the shooting range, and as a result it remained unclear for a long time whether he missed a shot. The race management checked the incident, but did not disqualify the French relay team. France ended up in second place.
This is causing resentment, especially in Sweden. The team around Jesper Nelin, Malte Stefansson, Martin Ponsiluoma and Sebastian Samuelsson finished the race in third place. “You have to fire all the shots, that’s the basis for safety. You’re not allowed to drive with shots in the magazine,” said Swedish Olympic champion Björn Ferry angrily on the Swedish TV station SVT. “But then it’s about not being allowed to drive past the shooting wall without shooting.”
Missing a shot usually results in a two-minute time penalty. However, this was not the case in Oberhof because protests were not lodged in time. After the race, nations have 15 minutes to raise objections.
“Rules are rules, so there are always interpretations. But when it is a blatant violation of the rules, it is only appropriate that there are consequences,” said Ferry, demanding a penalty for the French relay.
The 47-year-old was particularly upset by the fact that no protest was lodged after the 15 minutes had passed: “That sounded like a German answer. I just got my Olympic medal myself, almost 15 years later, and of course you have to look at it. And if it was a violation of the rules and that is obvious, then logically there must be consequences.”