Jacquelin honours 'Pirate' Pantani and takes bronze in biathlon pursuit

Emilien Jacquelin led the 12.5km pursuit at the Milano Cortina Games, touched an earring lent by Marco Pantani's family and finished third after missing two late shots behind Martin Ponsiluoma and Sturla Holm Laegreid.

Emilien Jacquelin raced the 12.5km biathlon pursuit at the Milano Cortina Games in Anterselva while aiming to honour his hero Marco Pantani. He missed two shots late in the race but skied the final metres touching an earring lent to him by Pantani's family. Jacquelin finished third and spoke afterwards about wanting to do the race in Pantani's spirit. He said he was proud of how he competed and compared his approach to artists who were not fully appreciated in their time. Race details: - Jacquelin led the pursuit and missed two shots late in the event. - He touched an earring lent by the family of Marco Pantani as he finished. - Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden won the race, with Sturla Holm Laegreid of Norway second and Jacquelin third. - Jacquelin erased a 16.1 second lead held earlier by Quentin Fillon Maillet during the race. - Jacquelin described his approach as a personal tribute and referenced artistic inspiration in his remarks. Summary: Jacquelin's performance was framed as a tribute to Marco Pantani and highlighted his bold, expressive racing style, even as two late shooting errors affected the outcome. Undetermined at this time.