Tense and rainy, the women's relay at Milan‑Cortina turned into a crash fest

In tricky conditions at Val di Fiemme and on a deceptively slippery course, the women's 4x7.5 km relay at the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Olympics on Saturday turned into a series of crashes and drama. Rain and positive temperatures earlier in the week had softened the track; with the added pressure of an Olympic relay the result was a chaotic race in which many competitors fell.

Most symbolically, Sweden's hopes were wrecked by Ebba Andersson, who fell twice on her leg of the relay. On the final descent of her loop the double Olympic silver medallist went over and broke a ski; with no staff zone nearby she ran with one ski on and the other under her arm until a technician — who had also fallen — reached her with replacement equipment. The sequence cost Sweden about 1'30, a gap that proved decisive even for a nation with huge margin. Despite the mishap the Swedes still managed to take silver.

Norway emerged the big winners, taking gold after managing to stay upright in the elimination‑style race; Finland finished third. France suffered early: Julie Pierrel fell on the first leg and the damage was costly, while Delphine Claudel — the final leg for France — also tumbled and broke both skis, dropping the French to ninth. Léonie Perry, France's best leg on the day, said the track visually looked fine but "the snow was already breaking" and praised the unpredictable, dramatic nature of Olympic races.