It was during a trip that Michaël Perruchoud discovered biathlon, a magnificent sport if ever there was one.
Raphaël Poirée, silver medalist, left, Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, gold medalist, center, and bronze medalist Ricco Gross on the podium after the men’s biathlon 12.5 km pursuit at the Winter Olympics in 2002. © Keystone
Published on 08.08.2022
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Sports story (1/6) » A writer, an athlete, a journalist recall one of their fondest sporting memories. In collaboration with Cousu Mouche editions, the Rien de plus fort initiative began with the writer, passionate about sports, Michaël Perruchoud.
I fell in love with biathlon in Beirut in February 2002. I had arrived at night, without a reserved bed. The “cheap” hotel the taxi driver dropped me off in front of was a friendly, rickety boui-boui that bordered the bus station and served mainly Syrian workers. Spartan pad and shower upstairs. But as I was leaving early, eager to visit Byblos, Tire or Tripoli, as I was returning late and the TV was working, I had no complaints. Speaking of TV, I didn’t understand the local satellite package. Apart from the news channels in Arabic, I had the choice between sports and porn. In such circumstances, and even in cases of severe hormonal imbalance, we end up at