OREANDA-NEWS. Olympic champion in biathlon five times over, Frenchman Martin Fourcade announced retirement at the end of the season. “I leave part of my life behind,” 31 year old athlete wrote on Facebook. Fourcade will take part in the last race in his professional career on March 14.

Martin Fourcade is the record holder for the number of World Cups won, he has seven Big Crystal Globes, and he won them in a row. He gained five victories in the ratings of individual races, seven of sprints, eight of pursuit races, seven of mass starts. The French sportsman became the world champion 13 times; in this regard he takes second place after the Norwegian Ole Einar Bjorndalen, who won the world gold 20 times, while both biathlonists are leaders in the number of individual awards at world championships (11). Fourcade won five Olympic gold and two silver medals.