In the first weekend of the Biathlon World Cup, the Norwegians missed gold twice: first to the Swedes in the super mixed and then to the French in the mixed relay. But the phrase with which the Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet addressed the losers at the awards ceremony caused greater resonance.
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“We always joke about money”
“Thank you for the money,” said the former owner of the “Great Crystal Globe” to the Norwegians on the podium.
Not everyone immediately understood what he meant, even though the moment itself was included in the live broadcast of the awards ceremony.
“I was joking because we always joke about money. “I joked on the podium, but I didn’t expect the camera to catch it,” the Frenchman justified. – Some people are motivated by money, but my motivation is victory. “I don’t want to name names, but some people like money and I respect that.”
For the victory in the mixed relay, the four Frenchmen won 26,000 euros, that is, 636,000 rubles for each team member at the current exchange rate; the Norwegians earned 20,000 euros, or 489,000 rubles per athlete. It seemed like it was the difference in quantities that made Kenten happy.
“I don’t compete for money”
Some thought that the Frenchman’s thanks were directed at Caroline Knotten, who lost the lead gained by the Boe brothers in the first two stages. And at the award ceremony her reaction was the strongest.
“Oh!” – the Norwegian was surprised in response to the thanks.
Knotten really couldn’t handle the Frenchwoman:
Samuelsson won the first World Cup race in 2023/2024. Not even the Norwegians stopped him!
However, it later turned out that Kenten’s message was addressed to the Bö brothers. According to the girls, male biathletes talk a lot about money.
“Ingrid has been saying for years that boys can talk too much about prize money and all that. When Fillon said “thank you for the money,” we thought it was strange to focus on that,” Knotten said.
Carolyn and Ingrid are surprised because they don’t care much about the prize money.
“I don’t care how many thousands there are for first place. I would prefer to stay in my positions. “I’ll be happy with the spots I get,” Knotten continued.
Carolina Knotten
Photo: Kevin Voigt/GettyImages
“If I was thinking about prize money while shooting, it would hardly be a formula for success for me. Luckily, that’s not why I compete most of the time,” Tandrevold said with a smile.
Where do Norwegian biathletes spend their money?
The boys themselves explained the obsession with money very simply.
“I think this is because we are more concerned about managing them correctly,” Vetle Christiansen suggested.
He does not understand which of the Norwegian biathletes, according to Fillon Maillet, is obsessed with prize money, but he admits that he likes to invest them in the stock market. Vetle points out that a sports career is temporary and it is necessary to take care of the future now.
“We must make sure that our entire life is comfortable, and not just the years when we practice biathlon. In general, the race is very short,” Christiansen explained.
Vetle Sosta Christiansen
Photo: Kevin Voigt/GettyImages
At the same time, he still does not believe that money is the main thing for an athlete.
“If what you are most interested in is making money, it is time to retire. Then you will be able to do much more. I hate wasting my money in the stock market. If I liked this more, I would quit biathlon and start walking around hoping to win as much as possible,” the Norwegian mocked.
Tarjei Boe said he and his teammates manage stocks, buy property and build cabins while continuing their sports careers.
“Money jokes are essential for us. The ladies are a little calmer. They are busy with close and familiar activities, such as knitting Christmas gifts. They are very good. Together we are a super team,” she laughed.
So the kids Fillon Maillet joked with appreciated his humor.
“It was a funny joke. Quentin was very satisfied with the victory and we saw it”, Johannes Boe was happy for the Frenchman.
Maybe Fillon Maillet will defeat Be in the new season?
Classification
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