Biathlon: Norway wins the women's relay. An extraordinary second Switzerland, Italy twelfth

Knotten, Tandrevold, Eckhoff and Olsbu Roeiseland imitate teammates and impose themselves in the closing race of the first stage of the World Cup.

Sunday 8 December 2019 4 minutes reading time

The race was born under the sign of a Lisa Vittozzi in an evident state of grace that, by resorting to a single recharge in feet, puts all the opponents in a row inflicting important detachments, being the first fraction: the young Norwegian Karoline Knotten (0 + 1) is 13 seconds with Sweden's Persson (0 + 3), Susan Dunklee (0 + 2), Anais Bescond (0 + 3) and Karoline Horchler (0 + 2) sail around the middle of the minute. The blue train derails because of Nicole Gontier's unhappy day at the shooting range; the Aosta Valley is forced to make a penalty round in the ground session and two standing and Italy slips into the quicksand of the lower parts of the ranking from which it will no longer be able to leave. To take advantage are Elvira Oeberg (0 + 2) and Justine Braisaz (0 + 1) who take command of the operations while 5 Tandrevold top-ups push Norway 17 seconds with Denise Herrmann's Germany (1 + 3) and Switzerland of Gasparin sisters, widely fighting with only three refills in two fractions. The third fraction is a roller coaster with Eckhoff (0 + 2) that recovers on skis as it loses at the polygon from Brorsson (0 + 0) while they go back under Vanessa Hinz (0 + 3) and Aita Gasparin (0 + 0); at the last change there are four teams in six seconds to play for the podium. It should be noted Dorothea Wierer (0 + 0) who won the fraction by dispersion inflicting 18 seconds to the Czech Marketa Davidova and half a minute or more to all the others; an exploit that brings Italy into tenth position. Hanna Oeberg and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland try to escape in the first lap of the last leg leaving Switzerland and Germany at 15 seconds; the Norwegian is perfect in the polygon on the ground while the Swede, back to the wall, has to use three refills and finds herself fourth at 23 seconds. The very precise Haecki and Preuss are inserted within 13 seconds of the leader. At the last polygon, despite the recourse to two recharges, Marte Olsbu maintains an advantage that will allow Norway to establish itself; Hanna Oeberg (5/5) joins Haecki (0 + 1) for about ten seconds for a sprint for the place of honor where Switzerland wins the second place thanks to an exceptional day at the shooting range with only 4 top-ups used in 8 polygons, third Sweden, fourth at 15.5 Germany, fifth at 1.37.7 Russia, sixth France at 2.07.3. Federica Sanfilippo is perfect on the ground but pays two laps of penalty on her feet and closes in 12th position at 4''08 "

Social media engagement