Sweden Claims Second Place in Single Mixed Relay at Otepää Biathlon

Swedish biathletes Sebastian Samuelsson and Hanna Öberg secured a strong second place finish in the single mixed relay event held in Otepää, Estonia. Despite challenging wind conditions, Öberg managed to extend her lead after starting her final leg ten seconds ahead of Finland’s Suvi Minkkinen following the last shooting. The duo finished 1 minute and 38 seconds behind Norway’s Sturla Holm Lägreid and Karoline Knotten, who took first place as Holm Lägreid earned his fifth consecutive World Cup victory post-Olympics.

The race was marked by the disqualification of France due to Emilien Jacquelin’s shooting errors, where he missed four shots and used more than the allowed number of extra rounds during the standing shooting. Jacquelin later apologized for the mistake, acknowledging he should have remained calmer. SVT expert Björn Ferry criticized this error as unacceptable.

This podium finish adds to Sweden’s impressive season tally, marking their 31st podium placement. Samuelsson described the relay as special and expressed satisfaction with their performance. Öberg highlighted the tough conditions, especially the difficult wind during standing shooting, stating, "It felt like anything could happen. It was really, really hard today. I haven't experienced such tricky conditions in a long time."