Oceane Michelon of France secured the gold medal in the women’s 12.5-kilometer mass start biathlon event at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The race concluded the biathlon competitions at the Games.
Latvia’s Baiba Bendika and Estere Volfa finished closely together, placing 22nd and 23rd respectively, according to TVNET Sports. Despite facing challenges with shooting accuracy, the Latvian duo demonstrated competitive spirit in the final event.
Estere Volfa started strong, hitting all ten targets in the first two prone shooting stages and remaining within striking distance of the top ten. However, she encountered difficulties in the standing shots, incurring four penalties and ultimately finishing 23rd. Baiba Bendika faced a tougher start, with three misses in the first shooting round, but she recovered well, utilizing her precision in the final shooting stage to overtake Volfa and claim 22nd place. She finished two and a half minutes behind the winner.
Bendika accumulated five shooting penalties, while Volfa had four, each resulting in a 150-meter penalty loop. The French team dominated the podium, with Océane Michelon winning in 37 minutes and 18.1 seconds, followed by Julia Simon just 6.6 seconds behind. Czech Republic’s Tereza Vobornikova initially led but was overtaken in the final kilometers, securing the bronze medal.
In her final career race, Italian biathlon legend Dorothea Wierer finished 5th. The race saw an exciting finish as Michelon and Simon capitalized on their shooting accuracy to surpass Vobornikova. Bendika’s strong finish saw her edge past Volfa on the final stretch, as reported by Sportacentrs.com.
The Latvian biathlon team’s performance at the Milan-Cortina Games showcased their growing potential on the international stage, as highlighted in a video feature on Sportacentrs.com detailing the support system behind the athletes. The Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina will conclude on Sunday.
