French biathlete Emilien Jacquelin will pay tribute to one of his sporting idols, Marco Pantani when he races at the Olympic Games. He will wear the legendary cyclist’s earring during the biathlon on Feb 8., as reported by Reuters.
Jacquelin posted the news on Instagram that Pantani’s family had agreed to lend him the earring. The piece of jewelry, along with the Italian’s bandana and shaved head, became a lasting symbol of his audacious racing style. “Today, I have the privilege of keeping the Pantani flame alive for a few races,” Jacquelin said. “During these two weeks of the Olympic Games, I will be wearing Marco’s earring. His family is lending it to me so I can race with it here in Italy.
The earring and Pantani
“Through this earring, this accessory that made him so unique, it’s not just Marco who resonates within me, but an idea of competition. His audacity, panache and the courage to attack when no one else dares.”
L’omaggio di Emilien Jacquelin a Marco Pantani è da pelle d’oca ❤️🩹
Ad Anterselva, Jacquelin porterà con sé un cimelio donatogli dalla famiglia Pantani: gareggerà indossando un orecchino del compianto e leggendario Pirata, il suo idolo d’infanzia 🥺
🙏 “Grazie a Tonina e Paolo… pic.twitter.com/kz5jXOg2T8
— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) February 6, 2026
The Frenchman is currently ranked eighth in the world heading into the Games. Jacquelin, 30 wrote that Pantani’s exploits had inspired him since the age of five. Jacquelin is seeking to add to the two Olympic silver medals he won in Beijing.
Paying tribute
“It’s my way of paying tribute to him. Of saying thank you. By showing him that his legacy lives on, that his story has instilled in children a love of sport, the desire to push their limits, to dare, to go against all odds,” Jacquelin added.
Pogačar on Pantani Giro-Tour double: ‘A dream to do what he did’
“Thank you to Tonina Pantani, Paolo Pantani, and Sergio Piumetto for allowing little Emilien to live his dream: running in Italy at the Olympic Games, with Marco by my side. Grazie Marco.”
Pantani rose to stardom in the late 1990s. He was nicknamed Il Pirata because of his shaved head, bandana and earrings. During his career, he won both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in 1998.
In 1999 he was thrown out of the 1999 Giro because of high hematocrit values. Before a test for EPO existed, if a rider tested over a certain hematocrit threshold–47 for…
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