After the first prone stage of the day, Sweden was mired in 18th position, but second leg Martin Ponsiluoma brought them back to fourth and anchor Elvira Oeberg’s solid shooting and strong skiing catapulted them to victory in this afternoon’s Otepää Mixed Relay. Sweden with Ponsiluoma, Viktor Brandt, Anna-Karin Heijdenberg and Elvira had a penalty and sixteen spares in their 1:16:32 victory.

“Never over until it’s over!”

Elvira admitted the win did not come easily. “It was for sure a special race today; very special conditions. We could see the entire weekend, especially this morning that it’s never over until it’s over! I think we really had that mentality today that we wanted to do our best from start to finish, regardless of the position. We managed that really well. I tried to focus on myself and it turned out good today.”

“Can’t be too fast…can’t be too slow”

Regarding her excellent and at times patient standing shooting, “I was prepared that this was going to be a difficult shooting. You can’t be too fast because then you miss but you can’t be too slow because then you lose too many seconds. I was really trying to take one shot at a time. I was surprised when I took my first extra round that the others had so many mistakes. It sounded like they were hitting everything. I was like I am the only one who is missing. I was quite surprised and super happy that I managed with only one extra round.”

Switzerland finished second, their second-ever podium in this competition as Lena Haecki-Gross outsprinted the USA’s Maggid Freed in the final 200 meters. The Swiss had just six spares on a windy day, 28.6 seconds back. The USA, with fourteen spares finished third, 34.6 seconds back, the first-ever Mixed Relay podium for the red, white and blue.

Norway wins Mixed Relay Score Globe

Slovakia, with two penalties and ten spares finished fourth, 52 seconds back. Germany with four penalties and eighteen spares, finished fifth, 1:11.7 back. Norway with five penalties and nineteen spares finished sixth, 1:18.8 back. Despite missing the podium Norway after the Single Mixed win earlier, secured the seasonal Mixed Relay Score Globe, with 385mpoints to Sweden’s 376. The wind continued for the late afternoon competition. Sweden and Norway immediately fell back to 14tth and 18th at the first exchange; Campbell Wright led with Switzerland’s Joshka Burkhalter second.

Haecki-Gross Sprints to Second

Third leg Deedra Irwin took over with 33 seconds on Switzerland’s Aita Gasparin, and Sweden fifth. Irwin used just a single spare, tagging anchor Freed 40 and 57 seconds up on Maren Kirkeeide and Elvira. Freed’s two prone spares put Elvira and Kirkeeide even with her. used two spares to clean prone. Elvira cleaned standing in six shots, sealing the win with Haecki-Gross out next and Freed third. Freed and Haecki-Gross battled until the finishing straight when the Swiss anchor sprinted past Freed for second place.

Photos: IBU/Dmytro Yevchenko, Nordic Focus