Raphael Poiret: “Fourcade has reached the ceiling. Raphael and Liv Gret Poiret: "We are family"

Liv Gret Skjelbreid (Poiret) was born on July 7, 1974 in the “city between seven mountains”, Bergen, Norway. We don’t know what the legendary biathlete’s childhood was like. However, one can easily assume that Liv Gret trained a lot if she already competed at the World Championships at the age of 18...

The Norwegian athlete achieved her first serious success in 1997 at the World Championships, when she took second place in the relay. The silver medal brought Liv Gret popularity, and self-confidence came naturally.

The following year, Poiret took bronze at the Olympic Games, and in 2000 she won two gold medals at the World Championships, performing best in the sprint and mass start.

At the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Liv Gret Poiret was considered the main contender for victory, but she had to give up first place to her competitors. The reason for this was stomach problems, which, as luck would have it, worsened during the competition. This significantly prevented Liv Gret from winning gold - she had to settle for silver.

The Norwegian team doctor Lars Kolsrud tried to understand the causes of the athlete’s illness and it turned out that in August 1999, Liv Gret was poisoned by stale chicken, after which she damaged her stomach. Other reasons for Liv Gret’s problems were also considered - constant stress, physical effort, holding competitions at high altitudes... The loads that the biathlete endured were simply prohibitive.

In the mid-nineties, Liv Gret began a romantic relationship with Raphael Poiret.
The French biathlete drew attention to his future wife back in 1992, when he first saw her at the World Junior Championships (WCH). However, the young people never got to know each other - Poiret did not dare to approach the charming Liv Gret, and she showed no interest in him.

Four years later they met again and still became friends. In an interview, Rafael recalls: “I plucked up the courage and told Liv Gret that I liked her. That's how it all began...”

In the summer of 2001, Liv Gret got married. In the biathlon world, they were called the ideal couple - they really suited each other well. After the wedding, the biathlete began performing under the double surname Skjelbreid-Poiret, but then abandoned her maiden name.

Family happiness influenced the sports career of biathletes. In the 2002/03 season, the Norwegian was forced to hang up her rifle - Liv Gret was pregnant.

On January 27, 2003, Liv Gret gave birth to Emma. Rafael was present at the birth, urgently flying from Italy, where the next stage of the World Cup was taking place. An interesting coincidence - my daughter’s birthday coincided with the date of birth of Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. This is truly a biathlon family!

Liv Gret got into shape surprisingly quickly and returned to the track in 2004. It was during this season that Poiret's career blossomed. The return to the snow was more than successful - the Norwegian became the winner of the World Cup, and at the World Championships in Oberhof she won four gold medals, leaving her rivals far behind! Such a major success was the first in the history of Norwegian biathlon.

Ill-wishers immediately started rumors that Liv Gret was taking doping. When asked by journalists whether this was really the case, Poiret replied: “Everyone is clean until they are caught.”

The couple began taking their daughter Emma to all competitions. “A child is the best achievement of a person,” Rafael admitted in an interview. “We may not get enough sleep, but we see our beautiful daughter every day.” In January 2005, such love for the child resulted in Emma becoming seriously ill. During the World Cup, she was hospitalized with a diagnosis of pneumonia and a temperature in the forties. It is not surprising that this daughter’s condition affected her mother’s sporting success - the next day Liv Gret failed the relay race. Bitter experience taught the parents to protect the child’s health and they stopped taking Emma to competitions.

At the Olympic Games in Turin, Liv Gret performed unsuccessfully. She failed to win a single award and after that decided to end her sports career.

“I want to give up biathlon because of Emma and the rest of my family,” said Liv Gret. - I had a good childhood, and I want my daughter to have the same.

Liv Gret Poiret has a lot of fans. This athlete has fan clubs not only in her homeland in Norway, but also in other countries of the world. Biathlon fans will never forget Liv Gret's success and her smile sparkling with fun.

Achievements of Liv Gret Poiret

Winter Olympic Games:
1998: bronze medal in relay
2002: 2 silver medals (individual, relay)

World Championships:

1997: silver medal (relay)
2000: two gold medals (sprint, mass start)
2001: gold medal (pursuit), silver medal (individual), two bronze medals (mass start, sprint)
2004: four gold medals (sprint, pursuit, mass start, relay)

World Cups:

Season 2000/01: second place
Season 2001/02: second place
Season 2003/04: first place

Photo: www.biathlonphotos.narod.ru

Alexander Ermoshin, special correspondent for SportObzor.Ru magazine

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 that I was capable of.

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.

At the time of 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 Beo))

“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 all. 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 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.” - GOLD WORDS!

I believe that I have not achieved it, because pharmacology is moving forward. :))

If only the whole team could hit the same ceiling)

Biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle target shooting. Athletes who engage in biathlon must have excellent health and endurance; few can withstand the stress associated with constant training at sub-zero air temperatures. But Liv-Grethe Poiret (maiden name Shelbreid) not only managed to overcome all difficulties, but also achieved amazing results in this sport. She won several championship titles and brought her team many gold and silver medals, and has several personal records.

Childhood and youth

Liv-Grete was born on July 7, 1974 into an ordinary Norwegian family of farmers in a village near the city of Bergen. She was the youngest of three sisters. The girls - Ann-Helen, Linda-Kristin and Liv-Grete - grew up very friendly, everyone was fond of sports. Liv was good at soccer, kayaking, and skiing. A little later, Anne-Helene's older sister brought her to biathlon.

The heroine of our article turned out to be a very capable and persistent girl, and soon she was noticed by professionals and invited to a sports school in Geilo. The young athlete, under the guidance of coach Odd Lierhus, quickly improved.

Fates are interestingly intertwined: Bjoerndalen, a rising biathlon star and lifelong sports rival of Liv’s future husband, also studied in the same class with her.

First performance

At the age of 18, the girl performed for the first time at the World Championships, but was unsuccessful. It is worthy of respect that the defeat did not break the Norwegian, but only confirmed her desire to train hard and reach the top of her sport. Which she succeeded in doing.

Achievements and awards

Liv-Grethe Poiret became a biathlon legend. Already in 1997, she achieved serious success: she became a three-time champion of Norway, a world champion as part of her country’s national team and took a silver medal in the relay in Osrbli.

In 1998, the athlete won bronze as part of the women's team and won competitions in Norway four times. She finished this season in fifth place in the overall World Cup standings.

Year zero brought the biathlete many trials: she was poisoned by stale chicken and became seriously ill. The doctors unanimously spoke about the need to end her career, but the girl overcame everything. Contrary to predictions, the athlete won two gold medals at the World Championships in Oslo, performing best in the mass start and sprint. In her interviews, the girl always says that the year 2000 left the best memories.

In 2002, biathlete Liv-Gret Poiret became twice second at the Olympics in Salt Lake City. These silver medals are her main pride, given the strong opponents and weather conditions.

In the 2003-2004 season, the famous Norwegian extremely pleased her fans and coach, winning 7 high-profile victories at 9 World Cup stages.

The heroine of our article set a sports record in 2004 at the 39th Biathlon World Championships, becoming the first athlete in the history of biathlon to win 4 gold medals out of a possible 5.

In 2006, Liv-Grethe Poiret officially announced the end of her sports career, which resulted in her becoming the most titled biathlete in the world:

two-time Olympic medalist;
eight-time world champion;
behind him - 21 victories at the World Cup stages;
15 times took second place (silver) at the World Cup stages;
She took third place at the World Cup 9 times.

Love story

The world of baitlon is small, and Liv Shelbraid often crossed paths with the French athlete Raphael Poiret. As the girl recalls, he showed her signs of attention, invited her to dinner, but she did not perceive this as sympathy. In 1996, at a championship in Ruhpolding, Germany, their mutual friend told Liv that Rafael was in love with her, and the athlete admitted that she had long been interested in a handsome young man. Rafael and Liv began dating, although they carefully hid their romance from prying eyes.

For 4 whole years they tested their feelings, living under the same roof in a small one-room apartment in France, training together and traveling to competitions. And in May 2000, Rafael proposed to his beloved, and they got married in a church in the village where Liv grew up. Now she has become Liv-Grete Poiret.

Family

The young people lived together. After marriage, their life did not change much - the same training, trips, competitions and traveling around the world in their free time. They really wanted children, and soon their dream came true: in January 2003, the couple had a daughter, Emma.

Liv-Gret Poiret, for whom her personal life was in the foreground, completely plunged into motherhood. Rafael was always there in difficult times.

After retiring from the sport in 2006, Liv became pregnant again and gave birth to her second daughter, Anna, in January 2007. Just a year later, in October 2008, another baby was born into the family - Lena.

It seemed like there would be no end to happiness.

Loud divorce

From the outside, the family was exemplary: loving parents spent all their free time with their adored daughters, the couple organized their own business, and were seen together everywhere. And then, like a bolt from the blue, the news about the upcoming divorce struck. This news really shocked fans of Liv and Rafael, many even turned to them with a request to save the family, which was in their eyes the standard of happiness. Such appeals greatly upset Liv-Gret Poiret. She went through the divorce hard and still does not comment on this matter. For the sake of the children, the former spouses maintained friendly relations.

After breaking up in 2013, Rafael began dating Norwegian Anne Thunes, and they recently announced their upcoming wedding. Thunes has three children from previous marriages.

What else is worth saying?

Liv-Gret Poiret, whose biography and achievements are described in detail in the article, is a very positive and friendly person. He maintains close ties with his parents and sisters, enjoys communicating with neighbors, and has many friends. Her only regret is that she has very little free time, because Liv works two jobs: as a biathlon expert and as a commentator on on the Norwegian television channel NRK and runs a small hotel in his hometown.

When asked what is most important to her in life, she answers without hesitation: “I love my daughters madly!”

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.

As soon as he burst into the “big game”, Rafael immediately loudly declared 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, however, 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 to the limit. 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.

During his sports career, Rafael climbed to the podium of the World Cup 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 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.

Raphael Poiret(French Raphal Poire; born August 9, 1974, Rive, Isere, Rhone - Alps) - one of the most titled French biathletes, four-time World Cup winner, eight-time world champion, three-time Olympic medalist. He ended his sports career in 2007, but in 2008 he took part in the World Military Ski Championships, where he became fifth in the company of professional skiers active at that time. On May 15, 2012, he headed the Belarusian men's biathlon team (contract valid until the end of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi).

Personal data

Height: 173 cm
Weight: 70 kg
Languages: French, English, Norwegian, Italian
Education: Bachelor
First participation in the World Cup: Lahti (Finland) in 1995

Career

Rafael started biathlon at the age of 10. His younger brother Gael is also a biathlete, although he is still far from his older brother's laurels.

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-Grete Poiret, who won four gold medals, the couple won seven of the ten gold medals 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 2000 to 2007, Raphael Poiret won the title of world champion eight times in different disciplines.

Family and hobbies

Since May 2000, he has been married to Norwegian biathlete Liv-Greta Shelbraith. In 2013, the couple announced their divorce. Raphael and Liv-Grete have three daughters:

Emma (born January 27, 2003),
Anna (born January 10, 2007),
Lena (born October 11, 2008).

In his free time, Raf, as his friends call him, is interested in cinema and loves playing tennis. The athlete is distinguished by sociability, a good sense of humor, loves and knows how to play to the public.