It was a Swedish victory – despite Elvira Öberg's absence. This after a dramatic showdown between Sweden and Norway, where Hanna Öberg won after hooking up with Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold, who fell just before the finish.
I came from the left side and she came towards me and then we hooked up. I think it's really crappy. Of course, I'm super happy that we win, but I would have liked to do it in a different way, says Öberg about the situation in SVT.
The Swedish star spoke with her Norwegian competitor directly after the finish.
I apologized and said I wanted a "fair fight", I don't want to win that way, says Öberg.
"I'm that good"
It was otherwise a relay where Sweden was already at the top from the start.
In her first World Cup relay in three years, Johanna Skottheim delivered an impressive first leg, with only one extra shot and good skiing. She could hand over to Ella Halvarsson in the lead with a ten-second margin down to France.
It was incredibly fun today. I feel like I own this track. We have absolutely fantastic skis, says Skottheim in SVT.
Before her standing shooting, a whole group of skiers were gathered, but once there, no one could keep up with Skottheim's shooting tempo.
When we get to the standing shooting, it's like nobody wants to stand on track one, but it's like I become so: you know what, I'll take it, I can handle shooting on track one because I'm that good, actually.
With full and fast shooting, the Swede could take off with a few seconds' lead on the competitors – a gap she then extended.
Fell before the finish
Halvarsson didn't want to be worse. She delivered completely faultless shooting but lost a bit on the track and handed over as third, a bit behind France and Norway. Anna Magnusson on the third leg had to struggle in the standing shooting but could still send out Hanna Öberg as second behind Norway before the decisive leg.
And there was drama at a high level. Both Öberg and Tandrevold were forced to use two extra shots after double misses in the standing shooting and set off on the final lap together. It looked like it would be decided on the finish – but just before, they hooked up and the Norwegian fell.
Thus, the Swedish victory was secured.
