The title went to Sweden led by Elvira Oeberg, who won her third medal, the first in gold after silver in the sprint and pursuit.

On a slightly windy shooting range, the Swedes mastered their passages behind the rifle to win their first collective title after silver in Pyeongchang.

Russia, under a neutral flag at the 2022 Olympics due to several doping scandals, took second place, ahead of Germany.

In search of a grand slam (six podiums in six races), the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeiseland had to settle for fourth place, less than fifteen seconds from the bronze medal, despite two penalty laps.

Returning from Pyeongchang four years ago with bronze, the French biathletes aspired to get back on the podium, after two victories this season (and twice in third place) in the World Cup.

But the shots of Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet and Julia Simon, both of whom turned once on the penalty ring, sealed off any hope of a medal.

"It pisses me off a bit"

"I have the balls! This is not the first time that we have lined up on relays that count", regretted Anaïs Bescond, who had launched the tricolor relay well, with a single pickaxe and a big ten seconds behind the head.

Swedish biathletes crowned Olympic champions in the relay at the Beijing Olympics on February 16, 2022 Tobias SCHWARZ AFP

It was then that it got complicated, with Chevalier-Bouchet's failed lying shot.

"It's getting a little drunk. There are three good balls and I can't put the last one. I'm reliving a bit what I experienced on the mixed relay. It's a bit annoying", commented the individual Olympic vice-champion.

For the first race of the Chinese Olympic fortnight, Chevalier-Bouchet also missed his lying shot of the mixed relay, which did not prevent France from finishing with silver, behind Norway.

"I don't really explain my mistake on the lying down. On the mixed relay, there was tension and stress, that's for sure. But there today, no", added Chevalier-Bouchet, a little disappointed by his race.

She passed the baton almost two minutes from the head to Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, who maintained a semblance of suspense with two picks, but Julia Simon's penalty lap on the last shot sealed sixth place for Les Bleues.

They will have one last race to catch up with the mass-start on Saturday (5:00 p.m. local, 10:00 a.m. French), at the conclusion of the biathlon events of the 2022 Olympics.

© 2022 AFP