It was really windy in Otepää and many of the favored nations had a tough time on the shooting range. Germany and France were forced into four penalty loops and Italy into five.
But Sweden - with Viktor Brandt, Martin Ponsiluoma, Anna-Karin Heijdenberg and Elvira Öberg on the team - managed to keep the number of penalty loops down and snatched victory. Everything was decided in the final shooting stage, where Öberg held it together, while Norway was forced into their fourth and fifth penalty loops.
"I was completely shocked when I went to pick up the spare shots and realized that they (Norway and the USA) had barely hit anything. It really sounded like they hit, but I focused on mine and it went well today," Elvira Öberg told SVT.
Switzerland and the United States managed to make it through the relay without a single penalty loop, taking second and third place respectively. It is the United States' first podium finish in a biathlon relay since 1994, according to SVT.
This was Sweden's 32nd podium of this World Cup season. The record for a season is 35.
