Medals update: Norway wins men's 4x7.5km gold in Beijing biathlon

Shooting clean in the anchor leg, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen clinched an unlikely victory for Norway to claim the men’s 4x7.5km relay in the Beijing 2022 biathlon competition on Tuesday (15 February).

Biathlon giants Norway showed they could win even when the chips were down, fighting their way back from seventh place at the first exchange to snatch the victory from early leaders ROC.

The Norwegian quartet of Sjaastad Christiansen, brothers Tarjei and Johannes Thingnes Boe, and Sturla Holm Laegreid won their country’s fifth gold at Beijing 2022 after a dramatic ROC collapse on the final leg.

The ROC would rue lost opportunities after they led for most of the contest before the gold slipped from their hands after anchor Eduard Latypov missed four of his five shots on the final standing stage which forced him to complete two penalty loops.

Sjaastad Christiansen shot clean to lead his team to victory in a time of 1:19:50.2, with France finishing 27.4 seconds adrift in a time of 1:20:17.6. A devastated Latypov still managed to get his team onto the podium, clocking 1:20:35.5 for the bronze.

"It was such high pressure. It was the perfect race for me. I was completely blacked out or I don't remember anything, but I woke up and we'd won the gold medal,” said Sjaastad Christiansen. 

Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet raced into the history books, winning his fifth Olympic medal of Beijing 2022 becoming the first biathlete to achieve this feat at the same Winter Olympics and the first male to do this in any sport since 1980. Fillon Maillet won gold in the men’s 20km individual and 12.5km pursuit and silvers in the men’s sprint, 4x7.5km relay and the mixed relay.

“It’s incredible, I never expected it. But today I didn’t fight for the record or myself, I fought for the team," Fillon Maillet said about his historic feat.

"That’s important for me because we are all friends. I really wanted to share a good moment with the team, and that’s what happened today - a silver medal, a very good moment.”

A tale of two shooters

The ROC was cruising at the front of the pack with Latypov shooting, shot five-for-five on the prone and went into the standing section with a minute advantage over Fillon Maillet and Sjaastad Christiansen.

Latypov took his time taking aim, but with each missed shot, panic set in, and he missed four targets and had to ski two penalty loops.

Sjaastad Christiansen made no mistakes on the rifle range and completed the final 2.5km of the course in the lead to clinch another gold for Team Norway.

A devastated Latypov said he hoped to learn from the experience but took some consolation in winning the bronze medal.

"I am also disappointed and I ask for forgiveness that this happened. We fought for the gold and we were not able to do it. We all wanted it and the guys did everything that they could to achieve this and on my leg, it did not work out," Latypov said.

"At least we were able to get third place and for me this is very important because it is the Olympics, it is the third place. I am also happy about it because in this fight we were able to win this medal."

Men’s 4x7.5km relay results:

1- Norway – 1:19:50.2

2- France – 1:20:17.6

3- ROC – 1:20:35.5