Saturday: (CET) 13:15 Women’s 4 X 6 km Relay; 16:55 Men’s 4 X 7.5 km Relay

Sunday: 14:00 Single Mixed Relay (M+W); 16:40 Mixed Relay (M+W) It’s a little early to speculate about podium potential with few teams revealing their hand yet, but here are some interesting matchups.

Look for France, Sweden, and Germany in the Women’s Relay

France, Sweden and Germany all have the personnel to field top squads, but the favorite designation goes to the World Champions, France. Their deep squad includes sharpshooting Lou Jeanmonnot, Sprint World Champion Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Blue Bib titlist Oceane Michelon and runner-up Jeanne Richard; enough said. Sweden’s equally deep team is led by the Oeberg sisters, each of whom won season-openers in Idre Fjäll, the returning Linn Gestblom, and steady leadoff leg Anna Magnusson. Expect the Germans to challenge, led by Franziska Preuss who won twice last week in Obertilliach, and returnees Vaness Voigt and Janina Hettich-Walz in a hotly contested competition.

Lots of Potential in Single Mixed Relay

This is always intriguing, wondering how teams will split their stars with the regular mixed relay a few hours later. The single mixed might take a back seat for France, Sweden, Norway and Germany who might want to go after the Mixed Relay. This opens the door for Finland with Tero Seppala/ Suvi Minkkinen, Austria with Simon Eder/Lisa Theresa Hauser, Switzerland with Aita Gasparin/ Niklas Hartweg or maybe a wild card like the USA with Campbell Wright and Deedra Irwin. Whoever lines up, the Single Mixed is always fun!

“Usual Suspects” Sweden, France, Norway, Italy in Mixed Relay

Fill in two men and two women for France: Perrot, Fillon Maillet, Jacquelin, Jeanmonnot, Braisaz-Bouchet, Michelon and you have a winner. Norway with Laegreid, Stroemsheim, Uldal, Tandrevold, Kirkeeide, Femsteinevik looks solid. Dorothea Wierer, Lisa Vittozzi, Tommy Giacomel and maybe Lukas Hofer is a competitive line-up. Still, it may all come down to Sweden’s “dream team” Hanna and Elvira Oeberg closing out after Martin Ponsiluoma and Sebastian Samuelsson in their home stadium on opening weekend.