French biathlete wears old earring of... Marco Pantani at Olympic Winter Games

Emilien Jacquelin will pay a special tribute to a cycling legend during the Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. The French biathlete will wear an earring that belonged to Marco Pantani, who passed away in 2004, throughout the tournament.

The 30-year-old Jacquelin, who won silver in both the Relay and Mixed Relay at the Beijing Games (2022), has been a longtime fan of Pantani. "He inspired me to get into sports, into cycling and skiing," said the 30-year-old biathlete. "His panache, his aura… That always motivated me as a youngster, I wanted to be like him."

"In this way, here in Italy, I want to honor the legend that Marco Pantani was – and still is. I want to keep his legacy alive 22 years after his death," said Jacquelin, who credits Pantani – also known as Il Pirata (The Pirate) because of his earring, bandana, and iconic style – with getting him to the Olympics. "He was my childhood idol and shaped my view of sports."

Family’s Permission
Jacquelin is allowed to wear the earring with permission from the Pantani family. Through a close contact, he connected with Tonina and Paolo Pantani, the parents of the late super climber from Italy. They agreed to let Jacquelin borrow the piece of jewelry during the Games. The idea to race with the earring had been on the biathlete’s mind for some time, but it only took concrete form around these Winter Games in Italy. For Jacquelin, it is precisely the location that makes the tribute extra special.

Jacquelin’s tribute has already made headlines before the Games, but initially, he preferred to keep it to himself. “I wanted to see it as a good luck charm and only talk about it if I became Olympic champion, if that were to happen. But just participating in the Olympic Games is already a tribute.”