Julia Simon with her now-expected fast skiing and solid shooting anchored France to victory this afternoon in the Ruhpolding women’s 4 X 6 km relay, crossing the finish line in 1:10:50. Simon and her teammates Anais Chevalier-Bouchet, Chloe Chevalier, and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet needed just four spare rounds in their resounding win over Sweden. The Swedish foursome used just two spare rounds, finishing second, 35.1 seconds back. Russia with six spares and a strong anchor leg by Kristina Reztsova finished third, 1:12.2 back.

Fourth place went to Germany with one penalty and five spares, 1:26.6 back. Belarus with one penalty and seven spare sounds finished fifth, 1:27.8 back while Italy the early leader, with seven spares finished sixth, 1:28.4 back.

Perfect shooting Weather; wide-open competition

The twenty-three women’s relay teams had again perfect conditions but much warmer with the temperature at +5C, sunshine and no wind. With many teams not putting their top line-ups on the start or just skipping this weekend, the competition was wider open than ever for a team to shoot well and make it onto the podium. Nineteen teams used either none or one spare in the first prone while Anais Chevalier of France led, with the Swiss women following as they headed out for the second loop. By the standing stage, Olsbu Roeiseland took the lead, shot clean but left a second behind the also clean-shooting Lisa Vitozzi, with fourteen teams still with one spare or less.

Italy in front

Olsbu Roeiseland retook a miniscule lead by the exchange to tag Karoline Knotten just .8 seconds ahead of Dorothea Wierer with Vanessa Voight tagging Vanessa Hinz in third but 18 seconds back. Coming into the prone stage, Wierer was in control but used two spares while the Norwegian shot clean to take a 10-second lead with Alimbekava also clean bringing Belarus up to third. However, Wierer recovered, moving to the front again as she approached the standing stage. The Italian and the young Norwegian both used a single spare to clean, leaving in that order with France’s Chloe Chevalier and Alimbekava right with Knotten, all three five seconds behind Wierer.

Braisaz-Bouchet takes control

Coming into the second exchange, Alimbekava edged ahead tagging Kruchinkina a step ahead of the Italians. France and Sweden tagged next just less than four seconds back while Norway fell back to fifth, 15 seconds off the leader’s pace. Braisaz-Bouchet took the lead before her prone stage, went 5-for-5 and left just ahead of the also clean Belarusian just a second back and Mona Brorsson, 7.6 seconds back. Braisaz-Bouchet powered around the next 2 km, used a single spare, remaining in the lead with the 10-for-10 Kruchinkina and Brorsson battling 6.3 seconds back.

Simon speeds to victory

By the final exchange, Braisaz-Bouchet had opened a bigger gap, tagging Simon 13 seconds before Anna Magnusson took over for Sweden and 36 seconds of Belarus’ Hanna Sola. Simon used a spare to clean prone while the Swede cleaned in five shots. The speedy French star added to her lead, going out 16.3 seconds ahead of Magnusson. A battle brewed for third, with Italy, Norway and Russia tightly packed at 1:14 back. Simon put the hammer down in the next 2 km loop, stretching her gap to 29 seconds by the standing stage. Simon sealed the win with five very fast perfect shots and was gone, heading to victory.

Magnusson used her first spare and only the second for Sweden to leave solidly in second position, 40 seconds back. Reztsova shooting fast, used one spare to leave in third, with the Norwegians falling 23.7 seconds back in fourth position.

Reztsova, taking the chance

Reztsova made the most of the close last leg battle that brought her team to third place. “My strategy was to work really good, to work fast and to shoot clean. When I was leaving for my leg, I saw quite a few places in front of me. When I came to the final standing, I saw the Belarusian team was making some mistakes, so I was just trying to take the chance. I am quite happy that I managed to do it.”

Photos: IBU/Walter