Johanna Hagström gave Sweden a good introduction, and switched like other teams, notch in the US. But on the second leg Håvard Moseby departed for Norway, and Leo Johansson switched to Fredric Andersson as third, 13.6 seconds behind Norway but only two seconds behind the second Germany.

But on the third stage, the Swedish chances disappeared. Andersson was abducted by both Russia and Italy, and when he switched over to Moa Olsson for the final distance, the distance to leading Norway was over 1.06, and the distance to the podium was almost 20 seconds.

Italy took bronze

And that was too much. She went past the stumbling German Coletta Rydzek, finishing four. But the distance up to the third Russia was 12.5 seconds. The distance to victory in Norway was 52 seconds.

- The Swedish girls are doing well, but it runs away too much on the middle distances, says SVT Sports expert Mathias Fredriksson.