The legendary French biathlete talks about the problems of Anton Shipulin, Russian doping and the dubious prospects of Ole Einar Bjoerndalen.
Raphael Poiret practically settled in the press center of the Biathlon World Cup in his native France. Despite his regalia, the current TV commentator was the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. True, he spent a significant part of his time in a nearby restaurant, communicating with colleagues. Still, even ten years after the end of his career, Poire is a real star for France. He was eclipsed in popularity in his homeland only by his compatriot, current World Cup leader Martin Fourcade.
AS FOURCADE OVER THE YEARS, IT HAS BEEN HARDER TO KEEP MOTIVATION
Rafael, how important was the victory in the final mass start of this biathlon year for Fourcade?
This was a very important victory. In the last two or three races, Martin was not at all the Fourcade we know. For some reason, he was calculating the places that were needed to retain the yellow jersey of the World Cup leader... On the eve of the mass start, we just had an interview with him. And I said: “Marten, you must play with your opponents like a cat with mice!” He began to say that he couldn’t do it, that he was dissatisfied with his form. But you see, in the end I managed to put aside all the problems and show the best I could.
Do you think Fourcade’s defeat to the Norwegian Johannes Boe was more a matter of psychology?
Martin has been absolutely the best in all components for the last five years. Now, with the advent of Be, he finds himself in a completely new situation for himself. Now there are two of them, and not just him. Plus, as you get older, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay fit and motivated.
Unlike Fourcade, you always had rivals who competed with you on equal terms. Do you think it is easier to stay on top in such a situation?
Certainly. I have said more than once that I would never have achieved what I achieved if it were not for Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. It was he who shaped me as a biathlete. I think that in the end, Johannes Boe will also motivate Fourcade to new achievements. Their rivalry makes biathlon more interesting, this is a huge plus for viewers and for television.
When will Be leave Fourcade behind?
Johannes is younger, so it's probably a matter of time. I don’t think Fourcade will get much better. He has reached his ceiling. But Johannes will take a small step forward every year. It's normal for a new generation to move on from an older one.
What can you say about the performances of your former rival Ole Einar Bjoerndalen? It seems that the time has come for him to make way for a new generation?
Every year I say that maybe it’s time for Bjoerndalen to stop. And then he comes to the World Championships and wins a medal there. But this season is probably the most difficult for him. Apart from a good stage in the relay, he showed nothing. The most difficult thing for him will be qualifying for the Olympics. If he can qualify, then anything can happen in Pyeongchang. But I'm not sure that Ole Einar will succeed. To be honest, I don't like seeing him in this position as he is now.
Don't you think the Norwegians might take him to the Olympics, at least out of respect for his outstanding career?
Of course not. In Norway, in order to go to the Games, you have to prove on the track that you are the best. No one is guaranteed a ticket to Pyeongchang there.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GROW A WORLD CHAMPION IN A YEAR
Russian Anton Shipulin, in his best form, was able to compete with Fourcade. What do you think is happening with Shipulin now?
It seems to me that Anton will soon get into shape. It is usually very good in January, and especially in Anterselva. In theory, I expected somewhat better results from him in Annecy. But the mass start distance was very difficult for Anton.
Shipulin often talks about pressure from outside and he himself constantly expects and demands podiums from himself. In your opinion, should he take racing easier and enjoy the process itself?
The problem is that Shipulin is now the only star in Russian biathlon. You don't have any strong athletes anymore, so all the expectations are tied to him. But we should not forget that sport is essentially a game. And to be the best at it, you need to play, and not drive yourself into a corner.
During your performances, Russian biathlon was noticeably stronger. What happened now?
I used to coach the Belarusian men's team and saw how different our training philosophy is. In Norway and France, the methodology is simply an order of magnitude higher. Hence the difference in results that we see now.
Your coaching experience in Belarus ended in failure. Do you intend to return to this activity again, or will you work only on television?
At first I really liked it in Belarus. But the level of the team was comparable to that of juniors. I tried to explain to management that the team needed to be created almost from scratch and that it would take from five to ten years. But they wanted to see a world champion within a year. It doesn't happen like that! To get results, you must first build something.
One of your former rivals, Ricco Gross, by the way, coaches the Russian men's team.
Ricco was a great athlete and knows how to achieve victories. But I think he faces the same problem. People simply don’t understand that it’s impossible to raise a world champion in a year.
How do you feel about the fact that Russian biathletes will compete at the Pyeongchang Games with the status of “Olympic athletes from Russia”?
I am truly sorry for your athletes. It was a problem of the system, and I’m sure not all of your biathletes were involved in it. It's not fair to punish everyone! Perhaps political issues interfere here...
Do you support holding the World Cup final in Tyumen this year?
Of course, we need Russia. Our sport is popular in your country, you always have an excellent organization and many fans. I would like to see more strong athletes appear in Russia in the future, especially in the women's team. After all, without Russia, world biathlon really cannot exist.
Anton Pavlovich Chaika, and I think that I have achieved it, because the body also has a limit for accepting various nasty things - sooner or later rejection begins...))
Alas, Anton is not Fourcade! I'm rooting for Be))
“he has demanding parents (on the one hand, this is good, but on the other, they force him to conform all the time)” - Yes, paradoxically, the local mentality plays an important role in the formation of personality. Anton overloaded himself with all kinds of needs and responsibilities - to his family, parents, coaches, country, fans. Poiret said it right - this is a game!
gavaler,
Well, not everything is pure with Fourcade, no matter what he says.
Arina,
I don't even compare Anton with careless foreigners. Even compared to our other athletes, he pulls a heavier load. Look at Anton Babikov - he is cheerful, relaxed, easy, because he is essentially responsible for himself. There is no result, but God bless him. And Anton completely feeds his family, is to some extent tied to his sister Anya’s business, worries about Nastya, and has demanding parents (on the one hand, this is good, but on the other, it forces him to conform all the time). Again - the fund. Etc. Therefore, it is difficult for him to win easily (pardon the pun).
Dmitry, he writes based on his own experience and does not at all deny WADA’s involvement at the moment.
Elen, his reasoning seemed naive to me in the part in which he explains everything with different levels of development of pharmacology and different levels of access to Vadov’s structures - in terms of their work on new methods for detecting doping. Give it up! Why on earth do you think that WADA tests everyone fairly? Well, why is this all of a sudden?
I repeat the question that no Vyacheslav answered me: are the conditions for testing athletes the same for everyone (number of samples, research methods)? And I’m immediately ready to answer it myself - DIFFERENT! That's it. And in this situation, there is no need to develop any pharmaceuticals, there is no need to monitor its inclusion in the “prohibited lists.” It is enough just to have “blat” in WADA so that you are tested according to a pre-agreed schedule using previously known methods.
gavaler, what is the point of checking Fur if he has “special blood”?
MarkK, “I used to coach the Belarusian men's team and saw how different our training philosophy is. In Norway and France, the methodology is simply an order of magnitude higher.” “It looks like it is.”
This is the problem of doping in Russia. Our sports officials, instead of developing and implementing modern methods (and this is a waste of effort), rely on pharmaceuticals. For them it’s faster and, most importantly, effortless.
They all need to be judged. For all our humiliations and broken destinies of athletes.
____________________
Anton Pavlovich Chaika, “it seems to me that Anton has a colossal burden of responsibility. He is a native everywhere. He pulls the team, he pulls the family. But there is practically no real help. He can really get upset. He is very talented, with excellent anthropometry, but very overloaded with responsibilities and obligations. He owes everyone, but no one owes him.”
I just came across this article:
Timofey Lapshin: “... But I look at our guys from the outside and see how tense they are. Everyone walks around gloomily, and there seems to be running text on their foreheads: “Leave me alone, it’s hard for me.” And I was like that myself. He lived with one thought: just to close himself, just not to let him down, just not to say too much. You will close yourself as if in a shell, group yourself and be afraid.
What are you afraid of?
Total. One mistake and you will be pecked from all sides and thrown out of the team. If you say the wrong word, they will pull you back. If you smile, you will be wrong about that too. There is a feeling that you are always to blame. I look at Nastya Kuzmina, she is relaxed, giving interviews before the races, smiling. I also come to this state. I run along the track and think: how good it is. They believe in me here, there is no tragedy due to a mistake."
sports.ru
Anton Pavlovich Chaika, And I noticed that it’s time for Fura to go on an IV, like Sukalova, otherwise they’ll be deprived of Olympic medals like ours. What if they check it for real?!
I hope Yosya will raise Marten’s ceiling higher! Marten will rebuild and accept the challenge, and the last mass start is like a rebirth for him)
“I used to coach the Belarusian men's team and saw how different our training philosophy is. In Norway and France, the methodology is simply an order of magnitude higher.” - It seems that it is so.
Elen,
It seems to me that Anton has a colossal burden of responsibility. He is a native everywhere. He pulls the team, he pulls the family. But there is practically no real help. He can really get upset. He is very talented, with excellent anthropometry, but very overloaded with responsibilities and obligations. He owes everyone, but no one owes him.
About the Olympic Games, pharma, doping and so on. Article by a former athlete. I don’t agree with the author on everything. but I found the article interesting.
worldcrisis.ru
About Fourcade: I don’t think his song is over yet. And Yosya is a good incentive. It’s difficult to determine the height of the “ceiling”. High), I can’t reach it)).
Regarding our training methods, Rafael is right, and even a layman can see this.
“The problem is that Shipulin is now the only star in Russian biathlon. You don't have any strong athletes anymore, so all the expectations are tied to him. But we should not forget that sport is essentially a game. And to be the best at it, you need to play, and not drive yourself into a corner.” - GOLDEN WORDS!
I believe that I have not achieved it, because pharmacology is moving forward. :))
I wish the whole team could hit the same ceiling)
Date of birth: August 9, 1974
Place of birth: Rives commune, Isère department, France
Place of residence: Bergen (Norway)
Height/weight: 174/70
Education: Bachelor
Currently working: construction company employee
Foreign languages: Norwegian, English, Italian
Marital status: married. After many years and it seemed happy marriage with Liv Grete Poiret, née Shelbreid, in July 2013 the legendary couple announced their divorce; however, they continue to raise their daughters together: Emma (b. 01/27/2003), Anna (b. 01/10/2007) and Lena (b. 10/10/2008). In the summer of 2016, Rafael married again. His second wife is Anne Thunes, a Norwegian from Bergen, to whom he has been engaged since the spring of 2015.
Hobbies: cinema, tennis, motorsports, music, travel
Personal trainer: Dumont
Club: Vercors Ski De Fond
Rifle: Anschutz
Ski brand: FISCHER
Glasses: CEBE
Costume: ODLO
Ski poles: ONE WAY
Shooting statistics (2006/2007 season data):
Overall accuracy - 86%
Lying down - 88%
Standing - 83%
Achievements:
Olympic Games:
· 2002 (Salt Lake City): silver (pursuit), bronze (relay)
· 2006 (Turin): bronze (relay)
World Championships:
· 1998: bronze (pursuit)
· 2000: gold (mass start), bronze (pursuit)
· 2001: gold (mass start), gold (relay), silver (pursuit)
· 2002: gold (mass start)
· 2003: bronze (mass start)
· 2004: gold (sprint), gold (individual), gold (mass start), silver (pursuit), bronze (relay)
· 2005: bronze (mass start)
· 2006: bronze (mixed relay)
· 2007: gold (individual), silver (mixed relay), bronze (mass start)
World Cups:
· Four-time World Cup winner (1999−00, 2000−01, 2001−02, 2003−04)
· Silver medalist in the overall World Cup (2005−06)
· Bronze medalist in the overall World Cup (2004−05)
· 103 World Cup podiums (44 first places, 39 second and 20 third)
Raphael Poiret is one of the most titled biathletes in the world. He started biathlon when he was ten years old. He made his debut in the World Cup in the 1995/96 season and took 17th place, which was a very good result for a young athlete. A year later, Raf was already among the top five biathletes at the end of the season. Unfortunately, at that time Poiret's shooting performance left much to be desired. Shooting training under the guidance of Jean-Pierre Ham (Amat) became a turning point, and in the 1999/2000 season, Raphael won his first Big Crystal Globe.
Rafael had a triumphant year in 2004, when he won almost all the races at the end of the season, won three gold medals at the World Championships (not counting the silver and bronze), the Large Crystal Globe and the Small Globes for victory in each biathlon discipline.
Raphael Poiret was the best biathlete of his time based on the results of mass starts. At the World Cup stages, he became the winner in this category nine times, climbed to the second step of the podium four times and showed a bronze result three times. In addition, he won four of his seven mass starts at the world championships.
Poiret won five biathlon competitions at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival: three times in the mass start (2000, 2002 and 2004), once in the pursuit (2004) and once in the individual race (2007).
Raphael Poiret retired during the 2006/2007 season. After his victory in the individual race at the World Championships, he announced that he had promised his eldest daughter Emma to spend a lot of time with his family, and therefore would retire from biathlon after the end of the season. His last race, however, was a stunning mass start in Holmenkollen, where he lost to his main rival Ole Einar Bjoerndalen by 3 centimeters. In his last season, Rafael was a potential World Cup winner, but did not go to the last stage in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Poiret's post-biathlon life was successful. He left military service and, having not received an invitation to coaching from the French Biathlon Federation, became the coach of the second Norwegian team. In particular, he was the shooting coach of Lars Berger, Stian Eckhoff and other Norwegian biathletes. In November 2007, a book by R. Poiret, written by him in collaboration with Ives Perret, was published.
In the 2012/2013 season he was the senior coach of the Belarusian men's national team. Unfortunately, this experiment was unsuccessful for a number of reasons.
After a short collaboration with the Belarusian national team and working as a commentator, Rafael completely changed his field of activity and chose an industry that had nothing to do with sports - he became an employee of a large Norwegian oil company. He worked as a shift worker on an oil platform at sea and did not see his loved ones for a long time. In the summer of 2015, due to the financial crisis, Poiret lost his job, but soon found new job- He now works for the Norwegian construction company Vassbakk & Stol.
During the 2016 World Cup, held in Oslo, Raphael Poiret was invited to the French Eurosport as a commentator, but after the championship he returned to his job in a construction company.
New job, beloved woman, new joys... Now only one thing is missing in the life of Raphael Poiret.
– This is where we first met.
Armed with Anne Thunes, Raphael heads towards Festplassen in Bergen. He is dressed in a light, lightweight sweater, with stubble on his face and a scar on his neck that resembles a scorpion’s tail. He points to the Contra bar.
“That evening we spent a lot of time talking and discovered that we had a lot in common.
Anna nods:
“Rafael is not what I thought he was before.” My impression from the TV screen was that he was stern and serious, but now his energy is in full swing and he is full of crazy ideas.
Least Expected
Almost two years have passed since they met, when they both had just ended their previous relationships. They stop at an intersection and see the sun's rays piercing the heavy clouds over Bergen. Rafael looks at Anne in a way that only the French do.
– I met Anne when I least expected it. And exactly when I needed it.
Eight years ago, he retired as a biathlete after 44 World Cup victories and 19 World Championship and Olympic medals. Then he had to go through several dramatic events.
In 2009, he came close to being paralyzed after an ATV accident. He went through a 12-hour operation, and the doctors said it was a miracle that everything turned out okay.
In 2013, he found his father - 34 years have passed since the day his father left Rafael at the age of 4. In the same year, there was a break with his wife Liv-Grethe Poiret, from whose marriage he has three children - Emma (12), Anna (8) and Lena (6). He went from being sheltered in a sports environment to difficult life in the real world.
- A lot happened in recent years, and it wasn't easy or simple. But I managed to cope with the stress and learned a lot. “I got to know myself better and found peace,” he says.
Childhood without a father
The accident was forgotten; he was most happy that the then two-year-old Anna, who was sitting in the back, was not injured. The divorce from Liv-Grete was not easy, but they work well together in everything related to the children. And the father who left home in Rive, in the south of France, and never returned?
“I felt like I was missing something because I grew up without a father.” It made me a good biathlete because I had to fight every day. Life was a constant battle.
In a series of NRK programs, he learned his father's story, learned that he was wanted and fled to New Zealand, where he married twice before dying in 2011. In the TV program, Rafael met with his father's wives, friends and acquaintances.
“It was good to know the truth about him.” I got answers to questions I've been asking myself for 34 years.
He takes a piece of sandwich from his plate. We are sitting in a cafe in the city center.
– I am a very open and sensitive person. Since the release of the program about my father, I have met so many people who share their problems and want to talk about it. It makes an impression.
– Have you considered the option of returning home to France?
- No, never. In Norway I have good friends, I like the local culture, my children are Norwegian. On paper they are half French, but I think of them as Norwegian. And now I met Anne. So no, I never thought about returning to France.
Happening
For nine months he sat at home. Without work, without prospects for the future. A newly divorced and world-weary biathlon coach. The two-year contract with the Belarusian national team was terminated after the first year of work.
– I wanted new challenges, to plunge into a new environment. And I needed more time with the children, I wanted to become a real father.
The challenge he was looking for came into his life by chance, but at the right time: Aker Solutions offered him a job in the North Sea as a laborer. And now he's laying cables and doing repairs here and there, participating in a project that will last until February 2016.
- Luck smiled on me, I ended up in in the right place V right time. This is a full-time job from 7 am to 7 pm, 12 hours of hard work. But this is a unique environment. I have never had to be in such working conditions, I feel very comfortable. But…
He smiles.
– I remember the first day. It was November, pitch black, and I was sitting in a helicopter on the way to an oil platform. Spotlights, all sorts of equipment, crazy noise. Then I thought, “What have I done?”
Two weeks in four
Outside of work, he plays bandy, squash and goes to gym. He works in shifts - two weeks every four.
– When I am free, the children live with me for 15 days. The rest of the time I want to spend with Anne. We don't get to be together that often, but we talk a lot on the phone. Not a day goes by without a conversation or text message.
“Yes, we are real teenagers,” Anne laughs, and then speaks seriously.
– Rafael is very kind and takes good care of me.
They both have three children, two of whom celebrate their birthdays on August 9 - his eldest daughter and her eldest daughter were born on the same day.
– We also have many similar memories from childhood. Anne also grew up without a father. And we are both Leos, impulsive and sensitive. And we have the same sense of humor,” says Rafael.
They laugh. Then, without saying a word, Anna shows a sparkling diamond ring on her finger.
-Are you going to get married?
They nod. They look at each other.
“We are engaged, but have not yet decided on a date,” says Anne.
“It was important to propose to show Anna that I have serious intentions,” says Rafael.
– We have many children, and we bought a ski cottage in Myrkdalen. Over the past two years I have been able to become myself... Finally.
– Do the children get along with each other?
– Yes, we have already gone to Myrkdalen several times - there is enough room for everyone. We will be one big family,” says Anne.
Enjoying walks
Trips to Myrkdalen show that Rafael and Anne still do not agree on everything. She prefers slalom, she doesn't like classic ski racing.
“She hates it when things don’t work out for her,” says Rafael.
“It’s an easy walk for you to overtake me on skis,” says Anne.
- No, I no longer have a competitive spirit. When I go skiing now, alone or not, I just enjoy it. I can ride my bike just to see nature and not have to look at my watch. This is wonderful.
From the first day it was clear to Rafael: he did not want to hide the relationship.
– We are very... “naturell”. I kept saying that I don’t want to hide the fact that we are together. Hiding behind dark glasses on the street is not for me.
– For me, anonymity was a little more important, but now everything is fine. We are no longer 18 years old, but 40,” says Anne.
Life is good
40 is a magic number. Last year, Raphael celebrated his 40th birthday in a grand manner in Bergen. This summer it's Anna's turn to celebrate her anniversary in Bordeaux, with a visit to a winery and a party with a few good friends.
“Right now we only need one thing,” says Rafael.
– Since childhood, I have moved a lot from place to place. He was constantly on the road as a biathlete, then got divorced. Now I want to find a place where I will feel comfortable and calm. I still live in Holansdalen, but Anne and I have a common project - to find a place in Bergen. Soon.
Mountains rise on the horizon, two birds land on the square like two tiny airplanes. Rafael and Anna stand under a blossoming cherry tree, hugging each other.
She needs to get back to work, he's going to town.
- When you come home, cook me dinner. Pleeease,” Rafael says, kissing Anna goodbye.
He watches her go and then returns to the intersection to continue on.
- Life is good now. “I often repeat that I’m unlucky in the game, but lucky in life,” says Rafael.
Rafael started biathlon at the age of 20, in 1994. His younger brother Gael is also a biathlete, although he is still far from the laurels of his older brother.
Raphael Poiret made his debut in the World Cup in the 1995/96 season and took 17th place, which was a good result for a young athlete. A year later, he already declared himself loudly, entering the top five biathletes at the end of the season. True, the talented athlete in those years was characterized by instability of results, as a result of which he could not win awards at world championships and the Olympic Games. While his peer Ole Einar Bjoerndalen won the Olympics and World Cup in 1998, Rafael, who had decent speed on the ski track, was let down by inaccurate shooting. In the future, the confrontation between these two athletes will become central in men's biathlon for many years.
The turning point in Poiret's career was training in shooting under the guidance of Jean-Pierre Amadt. The result of hard work was the first World Cup in the 1999/2000 season. In 2001, a French army soldier repeated his success, adding to the Big Crystal Globe a gold medal at the World Championships in Holmenkolen. In 2002, Rafael won the third cup in a row, once again leaving behind his main rival, Bjoerndalen.
In addition to sporting victories, success accompanied the Frenchman on the personal front. At the end of the 2000/01 season, he married his long-time lover and colleague, Norwegian Liv Gret Shelbride.
The only thing Rafael lacks is Olympic gold. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Poiret won a silver medal in pursuit. He also won a bronze medal as part of the French relay team.
The 2002/03 season was the most unsuccessful for Poiret. The birth of his daughter Emma did not allow him to fully concentrate on competitions and led to the loss of the positions he had gained.
However, in 2004, Rafael again proved that he is an outstanding athlete. At the World Championships in Oberhof, Germany, Poiret won three gold, one silver and one bronze medal (in the relay). Together with his wife, Norwegian Liv-Grethe Poiret, who won four gold medals, married couple became the owner of seven out of ten gold medals that were awarded at the championship. Rafael won almost all the races at the end of the season and won the Large Crystal Globe and Small Globes for victory in each biathlon discipline. Perhaps the return of his wife to the ski track helped the athlete regain his former incentives to win.
The 2004-2005 season was not easy for Rafael, but he won three victories and entered the top three at the end of the season.
At the Olympic Games in Turin, Rafael was unable to achieve his main goal - gold, but limited himself to bronze in the relay race.
Raphael Poiret retired during the 2006/2007 season. His last race was a stunning mass start in Holmenkollen, where he lost to his main rival Ole Einar Bjoerndalen by 3 centimeters. In his last season, Raf was absolutely brilliant, especially in the second half. He was a potential World Cup winner, but did not go to the last stage in Khanty-Mansiysk.
In total, from 2007 to 2007, Raphael Poiret won the title of world champion eight times in different disciplines.
Raphael Poiret is one of the most titled French biathletes, four-time World Cup winner, eight-time world champion, three-time Olympic medalist... This is what Wikipedia will answer you. And I’ll tell you this: Raphael Poiret is one of the greatest athletes in the world, who combines all the best sports and simply human qualities.
But it is unlikely that on August 9, 1974, anyone could even imagine that on this day one of the greatest biathletes in history was born in the small French town of Rive.
From the age of 10, Rafael became seriously interested in biathlon. And almost 10 years later he made his debut at World Cup competitions, where he subsequently shone for 11 seasons.
Only having burst into " big game“Rafael immediately made a loud statement about himself, finishing his debut season in a high 17th position in the general classification. By the way, in the future he never fell below the 5th position.
The next 2 seasons, 1996/1997 and 1997/1998, the young and undoubtedly talented Frenchman, thanks to his amazing speed, secured a place in the top 5 of the World Cup, however, due to extremely unstable shooting, Rafael finished both seasons in 5th place in the overall standings .
Not wanting to put up with this order of things, Raphael worked hard on shooting under the supervision of Jean-Pierre Amadt. Diligence and hard work bear fruit: in the 4th season of KM Raf wins his first Big Crystal Globe.
In subsequent seasons, given that the Great and Terrible Bjoerndalen showed excellent form, Rafael did the incredible: Raf won the World Cup for 3 seasons in a row. Apart from him, only the legendary Frank Ullrich can boast of such an achievement in men's biathlon.
At this point, perhaps, we should pause and tell about the One who inspired Raphael to great achievements.
Raf and Liv-Grete met at junior competitions, but their relationship began years later, when both athletes were already competing in the World Cup. In 2001 they got married. This couple is deservedly considered the most beautiful in the biathlon world. Liv-Grete supported her husband in everything.
Largely due to the fact that Rafael could not ignore his pregnant wife, in the 2002/2003 season he did not show the best form.
However, already in the next season, Raf returned triumphantly: at the World Championship, he, like Liv-Grete, won 3 gold medals out of four personal races.
At the end of the 2003/2004 season, Rafael once again wrote his name in the history of biathlon: for the first time, at the end of the season, one athlete won absolutely all the World Cups, both in the overall standings and in the standings of individual disciplines. Until now, no one has managed to repeat his achievement.
In subsequent seasons, Rafael was consistently in the top three: season 2004/2005 - 3rd place in the overall standings, 2005/2006 - 2nd.
During these years, we could watch the most exciting struggle between the strongest biathletes of those years: Sven Fischer, Ole Einer Bjoerndalen and Raphael Poiret. Each race was a real thriller and no one could know in advance which of them would be the best this time. And just as exciting, intense, and sometimes tragic as these seasons was Rafael’s departure from the sport.
The main reason for Rafael’s departure from the sport is that family turned out to be more important than titles for Rafa.
“I promised Emma that I would finish my career in her mother’s homeland, at the penultimate stage of the World Cup - 2006/2007.”
“In the morning my wife called and said that a daughter was born. I heard a baby crying over the phone and felt a surprisingly pleasant feeling. But when the conversation ended and I was left alone, a feeling of emptiness suddenly came over me. It was terrible. That’s when I decided that I would leave big sport.”
Watching Raphael's final races, where he won race after race, critics wondered how an athlete who was perhaps in his best form could leave the sport.
Raf kept his word and the mass start in Holmenkollen became the last race of the Great Athlete at the World Cup stages. This race will forever go down in history as, perhaps, the most spectacular in recent years: the strongest biathletes in the world met in the last fight, the fight went on to the last and once again the long-time rivals Bjoerndalen and Poiret reached the finish line. Nerves are on edge. Who will win?
Ole Einer won that fight, the count was by millimeters. But despite the fact that Raf came second, it is difficult to imagine a better ending to the saga of the exploits of the great Poiret. Only a legendary finish like this is worthy of Raphael.
After finishing his career as a biathlete, Rafael began coaching. At first, he became a coach in the French national team, but it was not ready for the reforms that Raf wanted to carry out. But Norway turned out to be. Rafael became the coach of team “B”, working with “problem” biathletes.
On October 11, 2008, Poiret's third daughter, Lena, was born. Poiret is a happy father of a large family, however, without forgetting about biathlon, he works with athletes and pleases us with interviews and various forecasts.
For my sports career Rafael has stood on the World Cup podium more than 100 times. He has 44 WC victories to his name.
There is probably some irony of fate in the fact that such a great biathlete never became an Olympic Champion, settling for a single personal silver medal and two bronze medals in relays.
“I don’t think that not winning a gold medal deprives me of anything important in life. I have Olympic medals and I am a multiple world champion. The most important thing is not victory, but how you go towards it. All the work that needs to be done".
He left unexpectedly, as if the strongest biathlete in a contact race on the last lap, going first with a comfortable advantage, suddenly decided to quit the race. But it was very beautiful. For which many thanks to Rafael.
