Sweden's Men's Biathlon Relay Team Stuns with Podium Finish After Early Setbacks at Kontiolax World Cup

At the 2026 Kontiolax World Cup, Sweden's men's biathlon relay team staged a remarkable comeback to secure third place, overcoming early difficulties to reach the podium. The event saw Norway claim first place, with France finishing second.

The Swedish team struggled from the outset. Viktor Brandt, running the first leg, missed five of his eight shots, including two early misses that forced a penalty lap and placed Sweden last—41 seconds behind Norway. Brandt expressed his surprise and frustration, stating, "I am completely shocked. I don’t understand why I miss, but evidently, I am doing something wrong. It’s disappointing and frustrating." His performance was described as similar to that of a "12-year-old" by commentators, underscoring the severity of the struggle.

Following Brandt, Jesper Nelin and Martin Ponsiluoma also faced challenges, with Nelin avoiding penalty laps but losing time on his second shooting stage, while Ponsiluoma required extra shots to maintain Sweden's position. Despite these hurdles, their efforts kept Sweden in the race.

The decisive turnaround came on the final leg when Sebastian Samuelsson delivered an exceptional performance. Starting from 20th position, Samuelsson shot perfectly, gaining approximately 40 seconds and overtaking competitors to propel Sweden from seventh to third place by the finish. He finished 48 seconds behind the winning Norwegian team. After crossing the finish line, Samuelsson apologized to the Finnish crowd for the initial difficulties but was pleased with the podium finish, saying he was eager to test his limits and acknowledged the misfortune of the American team that helped Sweden move ahead.

The relay success coincided with strong performances from the Swedish women’s biathlon team, including Elvira Öberg securing second place in the women’s mass start and Anna Magnusson finishing third. These achievements contributed to Sweden’s rising positions in the overall World Cup standings.

Johannes Lukas will continue as head coach of the Swedish biathlon team, a decision welcomed by athletes such as Öberg, illustrating team confidence moving forward after the dramatic relay event.