Tommaso Giacomel and Quentin Fillon Maillet engaged in a fierce duel. © APA/afp / THOMAS ANDERSEN

Fillon Maillet thanks Giacomel: “Help us”

The men's pursuit at the World Cup finals at Holmenkollen in Oslo provided a special episode with the epic duel between Tommaso Giacomel and Quentin Fillon Maillet. The latter thanked Giacomel afterward.

March 22, 2025

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"This is the kind of race I love," enthused Fillon Maillet in an interview with the IBU afterward. "Many thanks to Tommy. We worked hard and were together the whole race. We helped each other." The Frenchman was referring to the battle he and his competitor from Trentino had over 12,5 kilometers. Giacomel had started the race with a lead of just four seconds over Fillon Maillet, but shortly afterward, the two gave up on the track. the image of an inseparable duo.

Like identical twins, they dropped one target after another, and Giacomel and Fillon Maillet even incurred their only penalty loop during the same shooting session. They were practically glued to each other on the final lap – ultimately, Fillon Maillet came out on top. After a brilliant final sprint, the two-time Olympic champion was 0,2 seconds ahead of Giacomel. "It was a truly great race. I appreciate sharing it with Tommy."

Giacomel, however, reacted to the duel on social media. "Close – but it's not over yet," said the Trentino native, referring to Sunday's mass start (15.40:XNUMX p.m.). "Congratulations and thanks to Quentin for a great fight. Tomorrow it's all in!"