After eight seasons learning from and competing with legendary biathlete Martin Fourcade, Quentin Fillon Maillet is ready to step out of the shadow of his record-breaking compatriot and grab his own slice of glory at Beijing 2022. And he has turned to another of France’s all-time great Olympians for tips on how to do it.

If you were attempting to build the perfect cross-country skier, you might well end up with Iivo Niskanen. The double Olympic champion has a seemingly unquenchable appetite for training, an off-the-scale aerobic capacity and a tolerance for pain that makes most people wince. The bad news for his competitors is that he has plenty of gas left in the tank.

Pakistan have earned 10 Olympic medals in total – and eight of them were won by their powerhouse men’s hockey side. Few teams are remembered with more affection than their last gold-medal winners, from Los Angeles 1984. Hameed Khalid, the side’s star down the left wing, recalls an extraordinary journey from playing street ball to the top of the Olympic podium.

As the United Nations marks World Bicycle Day on 3 June, we highlight some of the cyclists who have impressed on the world stage since competing at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

Her recent decision to retire after the rescheduled Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has both released the pressure and reignited the passion for Olympic women’s road race champion Anna van der Breggen. And, having found peace and uncovered a talent for growing vegetables during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Dutchwoman is raring to get back in the saddle when circumstances allow. 

She retired after becoming the most decorated winter Olympian ever at PyeongChang 2018, but there was a time when cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen had to face the agony of repeated failure on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Looking back, the Norwegian is grateful for the tough times.

Australian cross-country skier Zana Evans, whose parents are both Olympians and came to cheer her on at Lausanne 2020, speaks about following in their footsteps and the importance of having such strong family support.

Jessica Diggins has gone from strength to strength as an athlete since winning, in tandem with Kikkan Randall, the USA’s first-ever cross-country skiing Olympic gold medal in the team sprint at PyeongChang 2018. But she takes greatest pride in her development as a person… 

At the age of just 20, Sweden’s Hanna Öberg shocked the biathlon world by winning Olympic gold at PyeongChang 2018 without missing a single shot. She says her singular focus and ability to stay calm under pressure will be key in her pursuit of even greater success.