Sweden took the top spot in the women’s 4x6km relay at the Biathlon World Cup in Kontiolahti on Sunday, March 8, 2026, while the Slovakian team finished 15th.
The Swedish team of Gestblom, Magnusson, H. Öberg, and E. Öberg completed the course in 1:09:33.2, finishing 40.6 seconds ahead of France. Norway placed third, 1:06.8 seconds behind the leaders.
Photo: Repro SVT, Sport.cz
Ella Halvarsson during an interview with SVT television. She couldn’t hold back tears after another disappointment.
Slovakia’s team, comprised of Ema Kapustová, Paulína Bátovská Fialková, Zuzana Remeňová, and Mária Remeňová, finished in seventh place, 2:45.2 seconds off the pace.
The result highlights Sweden’s dominance in the women’s relay event, continuing a strong showing in the Biathlon World Cup.
Meanwhile, Swedish biathlete Ella Halvarsson was visibly emotional after a disappointing sprint race on Friday, March 13, 2026, finishing in 70th place. Halvarsson struggled with three penalty loops and a 64th-place shooting time.
“I’m terribly disappointed. It’s hard. I can’t get over it. Everything was wrong today,” Halvarsson said through tears during a post-race interview with Swedish television SVT.
“I tried everything, changed my training plans and hoped for results. But I didn’t get anything out of it. I feel like my body is weak,” she continued.
Halvarsson had a strong start to the season, even cracking the top ten, but her performance declined sharply after Ruhpolding. Her only top-40 finish since then came in Kontiolahti, where she placed 21st in the mass start event.
“I felt strong before Christmas, but now it’s desperation. You hope for a good race, but it’s just one large disappointment after another,” she lamented.
Elvira Öberg was the top Swedish finisher in the sprint, placing eighth, just two tenths of a second behind seventh-place Tereza Voborníková of the Czech Republic. France’s Julia Simon won the race, followed by Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi, and another French athlete, Lou Jeanmonnot.
