After the Norwegian star Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and the German Denise Herrmann-Wick, the French biathlete Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet announced on Wednesday March 15 that she was retiring at the end of the winter. In an Instagram post, with a drawing representing her alongside the mascots of the three Olympic Games in which she participated - 2014, 2018, 2022 -, the 30-year-old Iséroise writes that it is "time for [her] to hang up the rifle and skis". It is in Oslo, Norway, the temple of biathlon which hosts the final weekend of the World Cup of the season, that she will play her "last laps", from March 17 to 19.
"I'm happy to have given myself the means to succeed and to have remained faithful to my values throughout my career," she continues. Proud to have held on in difficult times, proud to have dared, to have made choices, to have assumed them. »
A "very understandable" choice for Cyril Burdet, the coach of the French women's team, not surprised but "necessarily a little disappointed". “As of last spring, she hinted that there was a good chance that this would be her last season, he reveals to Le Monde. But as it was going well, we wondered if she was not going to stack up another year. We also hoped, he is someone important in our team. »
Three Olympic and seven World medals
The Frenchwoman, who became the mother of a little Emie in 2019, has shown consistency at major events by winning three Olympic medals – two silver in the individual and mixed relay in Beijing in 2022, and a bronze in the women's relay. in Pyeongchang in 2018 – and seven world medals (three individual and four in the relay). All she needs is an international title, which she came close to this year during the mass start of the Worlds in Oberhof (Germany), where she arrived at the last standing shot at the head of the race before finally finishing fourth. "We must pay tribute to her and her journey, because she was exemplary both in her results and within the team", praises Cyril Bourdet.
Nicknamed "the captain" due to her "stabilizing role" in the French team, Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet has taken part in 259 World Cup races (before the last three races in Oslo) since her debut in 2013 – for a victory, during the pursuit of Hochfilzen (Austria) in 2016. This season, she has reached the podium four times at the end of individual events. "It's a bit like the big sister who gave the benefit of her experience, especially to the youngest," explains the coach of Les Bleues. She was an example in her commitment and professionalism, despite the constraints she has at the family level. It is a great lady of biathlon who is bowing out. »
