Fillon Maillet came into Beijing 2022 as one of the form athletes on the circuit having recorded five World Cup victories this season, including three triumphs last month.

The results placed him at the top of the season standings, marking he Frenchman as one of the biathletes to watch heading into the Games.

Fillon Maillet was seeking to emulate his hero Martin Fourcade, who earned gold in the same event at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Two penalties during the competition had threatened to impact Fillon Maillet’s prospects, but the 29-year-old had the speed to establish an advantage over his closest challengers.

He crossed the line in a time of 48min 47.4sec to win his maiden Olympic title, following the silver medal earned in the mixed relay event on Saturday (February 5).

"When I was very young I dreamed of this," Fillon Maillet said.

"Today with two misses I never thought I could be on the podium, but right now it's a reality.

"It's a very, very good moment."

Belarus’ Anton Smolski shot clean for the first time at a major event, one of only two biathletes to do so during the competition.

His precision helped him secure his first Olympic medal, ending as the runner-up at 14.8sec down.

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic champion Johannes Thingnes Bø was forced to settle for bronze in Beijing.

Bø’s race was bookend by penalties, with the Norwegian finishing 31.1sec adrift of the winner.

He finished narrowly clear of fourth-placed Maxim Tsvetkov, as the Russian Olympic Committee athlete missed the podium by 3.8sec.