Sebastian Samuelsson Misses Medal in 20 km Biathlon at 2026 Winter Olympics After Final Shooting Errors

At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Swedish biathlete Sebastian Samuelsson faced a heartbreaking missed medal opportunity in the men's 20 km individual race. Despite a strong start and perfect shooting in his first three rounds, Samuelsson faltered in the final standing shooting, missing two shots. This mistake derailed his chances of a podium finish, relegating him to seventh place overall, 2.29 minutes behind the Norwegian gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn.

Samuelsson grappled with pressure during the last shooting stage, as noted by his shooting coach Johan Hagström, which contributed to the errors. Fellow Swede Martin Ponsiluoma also missed medal contention, finishing ninth after missing shots during the event. Both athletes expressed their disappointment but maintained composure; Samuelsson conceded, "When you don't take a medal, the air goes out of you," while Ponsiluoma cited fatigue as a factor.

Norway's Johan-Olav Botn took the gold, dedicating his victory to his late friend Sviert Guttorm Bakken. France's Éric Perrot claimed silver, and Norway's Sturla Holm Lægreid earned bronze. The competition continues with more races scheduled, but for Sweden, the men's distance event was marked by missed chances due to crucial shooting inaccuracies in the final stage.