Martin Fourcade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Martin Fourcade

Martin Fourcade in 2017
Personal information
Nationality	French
Born	(1988-09-14) 14 September 1988 (age 36) Céret, France
Height	1.85 m
Website	martinfourcade.fr
Professional information
Sport	Biathlon
Club	EMHM Nordic 66
World Cup debut	13 March 2008
Retired	14 March 2020
Olympic Games
Teams	3 (2010, 2014, 2018)
Medals	7 (6 gold)
World Championships
Teams	10 (2009–2020)
Medals	28 (13 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	13 (2008 – 2020)
Individual races	283
All races	347
Individual victories	84
All victories	99
Individual podiums	150
All podiums	186
Overall titles	7 (2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18)
Discipline titles	26: 5 Individual (2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019-20); 8 Sprint (2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019-20); 8 Pursuit (2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18); 5 Mass start (2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18)
Medal record Representing  France Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 6 1 0 World Championships 13 10 5 Olympic Games Gold 2010 Vancouver 15 km mass start Gold 2014 Sochi 12.5 km pursuit Gold 2014 Sochi 20 km individual Gold 2018 Pyeongchang 12.5 km pursuit Gold 2018 Pyeongchang 15 km mass start Gold 2018 Pyeongchang Mixed relay Silver 2014 Sochi 15 km mass start World Championships Gold 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk 12.5 km pursuit Gold 2012 Ruhpolding 10 km sprint Gold 2012 Ruhpolding 12.5 km pursuit Gold 2012 Ruhpolding 15 km mass start Gold 2013 Nové Město 20 km individual Gold 2015 Kontiolahti 20 km individual Gold 2016 Oslo 10 km sprint Gold 2016 Oslo 12.5 km pursuit Gold 2016 Oslo 20 km individual Gold 2016 Oslo Mixed relay Gold 2017 Hochfilzen 12.5 km pursuit Gold 2020 Antholz 20 km individual Gold 2020 Antholz 4 × 7.5 km relay Silver 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk 10 km sprint Silver 2012 Ruhpolding 4 × 7.5 km relay Silver 2013 Nové Město 10 km sprint Silver 2013 Nové Město 12.5 km pursuit Silver 2013 Nové Město 4 × 7.5 km relay Silver 2013 Nové Město Mixed relay Silver 2015 Kontiolahti Mixed relay Silver 2016 Oslo 15 km mass start Silver 2017 Hochfilzen 4 × 7.5 km relay Silver 2017 Hochfilzen Mixed relay Bronze 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk Mixed relay Bronze 2015 Kontiolahti 4 × 7.5 km relay Bronze 2017 Hochfilzen 10 km sprint Bronze 2017 Hochfilzen 20 km individual Bronze 2020 Antholz 10 km sprint Youth World Championships Bronze 2007 Martell 3 × 7.5 km relay

Martin Fourcade (born September 14, 1988) is a famous French biathlete who has now retired. He is one of the most successful biathletes ever. Martin won six gold medals at the Olympic Games. He also became a World Champion thirteen times.

Martin Fourcade won the overall Biathlon World Cup seven times. This is a record for any biathlete. He is also the most successful French Winter Olympian in history. Martin retired from the sport on March 14, 2020.

Since April 2018, he has been the president of the Athletes' Commission. This group helps plan the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. In February 2022, Martin was chosen to be a member of the International Olympic Committee. He also joined the IOC Athletes' Commission for eight years.

Martin's Amazing Career

Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It's a tough sport! When we talk about "non-team" races, we mean races where athletes compete alone.

Starting Out in Biathlon

Martin Fourcade began biathlon in 2002. He followed his older brother, Simon Fourcade, into the sport. Martin started competing internationally in 2006.

He took part in the Junior World Championships in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, he won a bronze medal in the relay race.

Martin first raced in the Biathlon World Cup in March 2008. He finished 61st in his only race that season. The next season was much better. He earned his first World Cup points by finishing 36th in an individual race. He also placed 10th in a sprint.

At the 2009 World Championships, he did very well. He finished in the top 20 in every race. This included an 8th place in the pursuit. He ended the year 24th in the overall World Cup standings.

First Big Wins: 2009–10 Season

Martin Fourcade racing in Kontiolahti, Finland in March 2010.

Martin kept getting better in the 2009–10 season. He often finished in the top 10. He also made the French team for the 2010 Winter Olympics with his brother.

At the Olympics, Martin won a gold medal in the mass start. This was his first Olympic medal and first World Cup podium. He then won his first pursuit race in Kontiolahti. He added two more wins in Oslo in a sprint and another pursuit.

These two pursuit wins helped Martin win the 2009–10 Pursuit World Cup. He finished 5th in the overall World Cup.

Becoming a World Champion: 2010–11 Season

The 2010–11 season was also very successful for Martin. He started strong with two 3rd place finishes in Östersund. He then got second place in all three races in Ruhpolding.

Martin won mass start races in Antholz and Fort Kent. He was a favorite for the 2011 World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

At the World Championships, France won bronze in the mixed relay. Martin then earned a silver medal in the sprint race. He was the fastest skier, even with two missed shots. The next day, he won gold in the pursuit. He was again the fastest skier, despite three penalties.

Martin finished 3rd in the Overall World Cup that season.

Winning the Overall World Cup: 2011–12 Season

Martin Fourcade at a race in Kontiolahti, Finland in February 2012.

The 2011–12 season started perfectly for Martin. He won two races in Östersund, Sweden. This put him in the lead of the overall rankings for the first time.

In Nové Město, Czech Republic, he finished 3rd in the sprint. His older brother Simon took 2nd place. This was the first time two brothers were on a biathlon podium together!

At the World Championships in Ruhpolding, Martin won three gold medals. He won the sprint, pursuit, and mass start races. He was only the third male biathlete to win three individual golds at one World Championships.

Martin won the overall World Cup title for the first time. He also won the sprint and pursuit titles.

Dominating the Sport: 2012–13 Season

Martin started the 2012–13 season with another win in Östersund. His shooting skills improved a lot, hitting 89% of his targets.

He won both the sprint and mass start races in Ruhpolding.

At the World Championships in Nové Město, Martin won a gold medal in the individual race. This was his fifth World Championships gold. He also earned silver medals in the sprint and pursuit. He lost the pursuit gold by a tiny margin.

Martin finished the season with many more wins. He won in Oslo, Sochi, and Khanty-Mansiysk.

He won his second overall World Cup title. He also won all the individual discipline titles. This made him only the second male biathlete to achieve this.

Olympic Glory: 2013–14 Season

Martin Fourcade competing in Oberhof in January 2014.

Martin started the 2013–14 season by winning two races in Östersund. He also won a pursuit race in Hochfilzen.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Martin faced a lot of pressure. He finished 6th in the sprint. But he came back strong in the pursuit, winning his first Olympic gold medal. He then won his second Olympic gold in the individual race.

In the mass start, he won a silver medal, losing by just a few centimeters. Despite this, he was the most successful male biathlete at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

After the Olympics, Martin secured his third overall World Cup title. He also won the sprint, pursuit, and mass start titles.

Making History: 2014–15 Season

Before the 2014–15 season, Martin had a health issue. He had to reduce his training.

He started the season with a poor result in Östersund. But he quickly bounced back, winning the sprint and pursuit races there. He also won races in Hochfilzen and Oberhof.

At the World Championships in Kontiolahti, Martin won his sixth World Championships gold medal in the individual race. He became one of the top male biathletes with the most individual gold medals at World Championships.

Martin finished the season by winning the overall World Cup title for the fourth time in a row. This was a historic achievement! He also won the sprint and pursuit titles.

Winning All Titles: 2015–16 Season

Martin briefly tried cross-country skiing before the 2015–16 biathlon season. He finished 22nd in a World Cup race, which was a great result for him.

He started the biathlon season by winning the sprint and pursuit in Östersund. He continued to perform well throughout the season, taking a big lead in the overall rankings.

To prepare for the 2016 World Championships in Oslo, Martin even bought an apartment there! This seemed to help him a lot. He won gold in the mixed relay, sprint, pursuit, and individual races.

With these wins, Martin secured his fifth straight Overall World Cup title. He also won all the individual discipline titles. This made him the first male biathlete to win all five crystal globes multiple times.

Six in a Row: 2016–17 Season

The 2016–17 season started with more success for Martin in Östersund. He won the mixed relay, individual, and sprint races.

He continued his amazing performance in Pokljuka, winning all three races there. He also won all three races in Nové Město. By December, Martin had the most successful start to a biathlon season ever.

At the World Championships in Hochfilzen, Martin won gold in the pursuit. He also earned silver in the mixed relay and bronze in the sprint and individual races. He set a new record for winning at least one individual gold medal in many major championships in a row.

Martin continued to win races, setting a new record of 14 individual victories in one season. He won all five crystal globes for the third time, and for the second time in a row. His sixth overall title was also a record.

Olympic Hero and All-Time Record: 2017–18 Season

The 2017–18 season began with Martin winning a pursuit race in Östersund. He continued to get podium finishes in other races.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Martin was chosen to carry the French flag. He won gold in the pursuit race, his third Olympic gold. This made him the most decorated French Winter Olympian.

He then won another gold in the mass start race. It was a very close finish, but Martin won by just 14 centimeters! He also anchored the French team to a gold medal in the mixed relay.

After the Olympics, Martin secured his seventh consecutive overall World Cup title. This is an all-time record! He also won the sprint, pursuit, and mass start discipline titles. He won all five crystal globes for a record fourth time.

Martin's Amazing Achievements

All of Martin's statistics come from the International Biathlon Union.

World Cup Records

• He won the overall World Cup title 7 times, which is an all-time record.
• He won 7 overall World Cup titles in a row, another all-time record.
• He has 26 individual discipline World Cup titles, an all-time record.
• He won 8 Sprint titles, tied for the record.
• He won 8 Pursuit titles, an all-time record.
• He won 5 Individual titles, an all-time record.
• He won 5 Mass Start titles, tied for the record.
• He achieved the "clean sweep" (winning all five crystal globes) 4 times, an all-time record.
• He has 79 individual World Cup victories, second only to Ole Einar Bjørndalen.
• He won 14 individual World Cup races in one season, second only to Johannes Thingnes Bø.
• He stood on the podium 144 times in individual World Cup races, second only to Bjørndalen.
• He won 20 individual World Cup podiums in one season, an all-time record.
• His win rate in individual World Cup races is 29.5%, which is an all-time record.
• His podium rate in individual World Cup races is 53.7%, also an all-time record.

Olympic Games Success

• He won 6 gold medals and 1 silver medal.
• He won 4 individual gold medals and 2 individual silver medals.
• He won 2 individual gold medals and 1 individual silver medal in a single Olympic Games.

World Championships Success

• He won 13 gold medals, placing him third all-time.
• He has 28 medals in total (13 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze), placing him third all-time.
• He won 11 individual gold medals, tied for second all-time.
• He has 18 individual medals (11 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze).
• He won 3 individual gold medals and 1 individual silver medal in a single World Championships, an all-time record shared with others.
• He won at least 1 individual gold medal in 6 World Championships in a row, an all-time record.

Overall Career Highlights

• He won at least 1 individual gold medal in 8 major championships (Olympics and World Championships) in a row, an all-time record.
• He achieved the "career Grand Slam" (winning an individual Olympic gold, an individual World Championships gold, the overall World Cup title, and all discipline World Cup titles) 4 times, an all-time record.
• He had at least 7 individual race victories for 7 years in a row, an all-time record.
• He has 83 individual victories in World Cup and Olympic Games races, placing him third all-time.
• He has 98 total victories (including relays) in World Cup and Olympic Games races, placing him third all-time.

Martin's Personal Life

Martin Fourcade was born on September 14, 1988, in Céret, France. His parents are Gisèle and Marcel Fourcade.

He has an older brother, Simon, who was also a biathlete. He also has a younger brother named Brice.

Martin has two daughters with his partner Hélène. Their first daughter, Manon, was born on September 10, 2015. Their second daughter, Inès, was born on March 23, 2017. The family lives in La Llagonne, France.

Images for kids

• 

  Olympic Rings

See also

In Spanish: Martin Fourcade para niños