Martin Fourcade is undoubtedly a talented biathlete who has a large number of fans in different countries. In his outstanding career, he twice won the Olympic Games, became the six-time winner of the World Cup and the eleven-time champion of the planet. The list of his victories is amazing. But everyone knows him not only as a talented skier, but also as a brawler. Quite often, the whole biathlon world discusses the tricks of a French skier.
Relay scandal
In the large list of awards, there could be one more gold medal if she was given for unsportsmanlike behavior. Fourcade's next trick occurred during the World Cup in Austria in February 2017. During the mixed race at this championship, in which Russian and French athletes fought for gold, Martin again showed unsportsmanlike behavior. He purposefully ruined the result of the Russian team. During the transfer of the baton, he specially flunked Loginov. At the same time, the French biathlete did not even turn around and continued the race.
The outstanding Russian champion Anton Shipulin told Marten Fourcade the following: “The athlete must first compete honestly, and let the leaders deal with politics. Fourcade takes on a lot and behaves meanly. ” Still, Fourcade apologized for his bandwagon, which, according to him, was accidental. For the behavior of the Frenchman also had to obey the head of the French Biathlon Federation.
Rudeness regarding Shipulin
Unsportsmanlike behavior in biathlon occurs infrequently. Basically, all athletes are trying to honestly win due to their training and tactical actions. Therefore, the unsportsmanlike behavior of Martin Fourcade at the World Cup in Austria shocked everyone. Many fans of this French biathlete stopped supporting him. During the relay race, he not only hooked our biathlete Loginov, but also blocked Shipulin’s corridor at the moment when he was about to make a decisive breakthrough. That is, Fourcade actually stripped our country of silver medals.
The opinion of experts about the Fourcade act
After the race, people's opinions about the Fourcade act were divided. Some experts did not see malicious intent in the actions of the French biathlete. “Nobody has yet canceled the wrestling in the race,” Fourcade defenders claimed. As it turned out later, the French biathlete did not break a single rule. Therefore, the Russian team did not protest. Any athlete, based on the rules, may well stop and stand blocking the path to other athletes.
Pedestal Care
In addition to unsportsmanlike behavior in the race, Martin distinguished himself at the awards held in the city of Hochfilzen. The biathletes of the Russian team behaved in a friendly manner. They congratulated the German athletes on the victory and shook hands with the French biathletes. Martin Fourcade defiantly left the ceremony without explanation at the moment when our team took its place on the podium. Such an act of the French biathlete caused anger among the audience sitting at the award ceremony.
The organizers nevertheless returned Fourcade, since he should be at the ceremony according to the regulations. Unsportsmanlike behavior towards Russian athletes has become the norm for this, undoubtedly, a genius biathlete. Fourcade can be called one of the most important critics of Russian skiers. He became one of the first to publicly demand that all medals and titles be taken from our biathletes. At the same time, the Frenchman even touched those of our athletes who were never seen in the use of doping.
Statements at a press conference
Fourcade at the press conference after the relay was quite calm and restrained in his statements. There were no direct insults to the Russian team. Of course, reporters asked him: "What was that?" He replied that nothing. It was just an ordinary fight that does not violate the rules of the competition. Such a statement by the Frenchman was clearly not satisfied with the Russian biathletes.
The unsportsmanlike behavior of biathlete Martin Fourcade will be remembered by all lovers of skiing for a very long time. In the entire history of biathlon, there are not many examples of such obvious meanness. Similar situations in sports negatively affect people's attitudes towards him.