France upsets Norway to win the Olympic men's biathlon relay for the first time

France's men's biathlon team staged a stunning comeback from last place to claim their first Olympic relay title in Beijing on February 15, 2022, defeating the world champion and defending champion Norway by less than 10 seconds in a thrilling finish. The French quartet of Emilien Jacquelin, Simon Desthieux, Quentin Fillon Maillet, and Fabien Claude overcame a significant deficit after the first two legs of the 4x7.5km relay race, with Fillon Maillet and Claude delivering exceptional performances on the final two legs to secure the historic victory. Norway, who had been dominating the event and were expected to defend their title, led for most of the race before being overtaken by the French team in the final shooting and skiing sections. The victory marked a breakthrough for French biathlon, which had previously struggled in relay competitions at the Olympic level, with their previous best result being a bronze medal in 2018.