The Latvian biathlon team finished six minutes and 43.9 seconds behind the winners, hampered by five penalty laps and 13 spare rounds.
France secured the gold medal with a time of 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 55.2 seconds, courtesy of Fabien Claude, Émilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet, and Éric Perrot. The French team used nine spare rounds and incurred one penalty lap.
Norway claimed second place, just 9.8 seconds behind France, with a team consisting of Martin Uldal, Johannes Thingnes Bø, Sturla Holm Lægreid, and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen. The Norwegian squad utilized six spare rounds during the race.
Sweden took the bronze medal, finishing 57.5 seconds after France. The Swedish team comprised Viktor Brandt, Jesper Nelins, Martin Ponsiluoma, and Sebastian Samuelsson, who as well used six spare rounds.
Latvia’s Rastorgujevs led off for his team, quickly clearing all five targets in the prone shooting stage with two spare rounds. He continued to use two spare rounds in the second shooting and handed off the relay to Birkentals in tenth place, 36.8 seconds behind Norway’s Martin Uldal, who had established the early lead.
France dominated the biathlon relay on February 16, 2026, securing the gold medal in a thrilling competition. The victory underscores France’s strength in the sport and sets a high bar for the remainder of the season. Norway and Sweden rounded out the podium, delivering strong performances despite falling short of the French team’s pace. The French quartet of Fabien Claude, Émilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet, and Éric Perrot completed the course in 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 55.2 seconds, utilizing nine spare rounds and incurring a single penalty lap. Their precision and speed proved unbeatable. Norway’s team – Martin Uldal, Johannes Thingnes Bø, Sturla Holm Lægreid, and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen – finished a close second, just 9.8 seconds behind the leaders. They relied on six spare rounds in their pursuit of gold. Sweden secured the bronze medal with a time 57.5 seconds slower than France. Viktor Brandt, Jesper Nelins, Martin Ponsiluoma, and Sebastian Samuelsson navigated the course efficiently, using six spare rounds to secure their place on the podium. Latvia faced a more challenging race, finishing well behind the leaders with five penalty laps and 13 spare rounds. Rastorgujevs started strong for Latvia, clearing his initial prone shooting stage with only two spares, but the team ultimately couldn’t maintain the pace of the frontrunners, finishing 6 minutes and 43.9 seconds off the winning time.
