It was déjà vu for France, an early penalty by Camille Bened put the French women 55 seconds back. Then her teammates shot lights out, flying around the tracks, burying their rivals as anchor Julia Simon brought home the Milan/Cortina Women’s 4 X 6 km Relay Gold medal in 1:10:22.7, 51.3 seconds up on Silver medalists Sweden. The French quartet of Simon, Bened, Lou Jeanmonnot and Oceane Michelon had just that one penalty and six spare rounds, giving Les Bleus a relay sweep in these Games. This was the first Olympic Relay Gold medal for France since the initial women’s competitions at Les Saises in 1992.

Sweden, with a penalty and seven spares took the Silver medal, their third consecutive Olympic relay medal after Gold in 2022 and Silver in 2018. Norway won the Bronze medal, with seven spare rounds, 1:07.6 back.

Photos: IBU/Vianney Thibaut, Ola Wizor, Nordic Focus