ANTERSELVA, ITALY – France captured gold in the women’s 4x6km biathlon relay at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Wednesday, with Julia Simon completing a commanding performance on the anchor leg for her third gold medal of the Games.
Simon had an easy final lap after teammate Oceane Michelon delivered an outstanding third leg that put France in control of the race. Sweden finished second for the silver medal, trailing by 51.3 seconds, while Norway earned the bronze.
The relay format required each athlete to complete three laps on the 2-kilometer course with two shooting sessions – one lying down and one standing. Competitors could use up to three extra shots to hit their targets before being forced to ski a penalty lap.
Early in the race, top contenders France, Norway, Sweden and Germany all struggled with their marksmanship, using their extra shots frequently and allowing the lead to shift back and forth multiple times.
This opened opportunities for underdogs like Bulgaria, Latvia and Czech Republic to briefly take the lead, but the favored nations eventually found their rhythm and pulled ahead by the third leg.
France’s fortunes changed dramatically when Michelon stepped up for the third leg, delivering flawless prone shooting by quickly hitting all five targets to give her team a commanding advantage.
With a comfortable lead in hand, Simon skied the final leg without pressure, looking relaxed as if she were simply training. She capped off her dominant performance with impressive rapid-fire shooting, hitting all five targets before embarking on what became a victory celebration lap.
The battle for second place came down to Sweden’s Hanna Oeberg and Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide on the final leg, with Oeberg maintaining her composure to secure the silver medal for Sweden.
