Biathletes' endurance and mental toughness were put to the test as they competed in the mixed 4x6km relay through windy, negative temperatures at the National Biathlon Center. With each athlete in the relay racing three 2km laps around the course and shooting twice, it was a shorter race than it was four years ago in PyeongChang.
Coming out victorious in a grueling yet valiant performance, the Norwegian quartet of Marte Olsbu Roeiseland, Tiril Eckhoff, Tarjei Boe and Johannes Thingnes Boe added another gold medal to their 2014 Sochi win. After Eckhoff had a difficult leg of the relay, taking three penalty loops, she was rewarded with her second Olympic gold medal.
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Coming down to the last sprint of the race with only 1.5 second separating the first, second and third athletes, it was Johannes Thingnes Boe anchoring the Norwegian relay team that led to their golden finish. Passing France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet and ROC’s Eduard Latypov with slingshot momentum from the final curve of the course, “JT” Boe crossed the finish line with a time of 1:06:45.6.
Latypov held off competition through the entire last leg and loop of the competition until the home stretch. The important meters were made in the last 2km where Maillet made up for lost distance on the course as he made his final move up the incline to catch Latypov. While Maillet passed Latypov in the final meters of the relay, it was not enough to hold off Boe in the sprint to the line. Ending the race with a bronze medal for the ROC, Latypov earned his first piece of Olympic hardware. France takes silver.
The next biathlon event gets underway with the women’s individual 15km on Feb. 7 at 4:00 a.m. ET.