Biathlon: Swedish mixed relay turns into a nightmare: “Just want to forget it”

Sweden endured a disastrous mixed relay in Östersund, ending up seventh after early penalty loops.

Jesper Nelin opened solidly with a clean prone stage and left the range ninth, but a penalty loop in the standing stage dropped Sweden down the order. He handed over to Martin Ponsiluoma in 17th place.

Ponsiluoma’s leg unraveled when, after the standing shooting, he incurred two penalty loops. “It was a nightmare leg. In the standing series I accidentally fired the first spare round, then I got really shaky and tense. There’s not much to say—I just want to forget it,” he told SVT Sport. SVT expert Björn Ferry said he felt for Ponsiluoma.

The women stabilized the performance. Linn Gestblom, making her World Cup return after 682 days, started her leg 2:19 behind the leaders. She shot clean in prone and missed just one in standing, gaining time. Hanna Öberg anchored Sweden with the fastest effort of their team’s final leg, lifting them to seventh at the finish.

France took the victory, Italy finished second, and Norway claimed third. Earlier in the day, Sweden celebrated a commanding win in the single mixed relay by Sebastian Samuelsson and Ella Halvarsson.