One of the highlights for the biathletes. Few races can be as exciting as the biathlon relays. In Beijing 2022 everything was turned upside down on the last shooting, and you need a guy with good nerves there. 

Norway and France are normally the two best relay teams, but several nations behind them can be up there in the final. 

Tuesday, February 17: Men 4×7.5km Relay (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:30 CET: 4×7.5km Relay, Men

The start list can be found HERE

ABOUT TUESDAY’S RACE 

All starters compete over a 7.5km course in a mass start for the first leg. All athletes are shooting twice, once in the prone and once in the standing position. They are shooting five shots. If they don’t hit all, they have three extra bullets to be loaded one by one. If they still have not hit all five targets, they must do the penalty loop, which takes about 20-25 seconds extra. The penalty loop is 150 meters long. 

Loading a spare bullet will take about 10 extra seconds. They are shooting at 50 meters, and the targets are 45 mm for prone (the black inner ring) and 115 mm for standing (the full black ring). 

The first team to complete all four legs wins the relay.  

Olympic Champions – Men’s Relay 

• 1968 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Nikolaj Puzanov, Viktor Mamatov, Vladimir Gundartsev) 
• 1972 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Rinnat Safin, Ivan Biakov, Viktor Mamatov) 
• 1976 Soviet Union, (Alexander Jelizarov, Ivan Biakov, Nikolay Kruglov, Alexander Tikhonov) 
• 1980 Soviet Union, (Vladimir Alikin, Alexander Tikhonov, Vladimir Barnashov, Anatolij Aljabjev) 
• 1984 Soviet Union, (Dmitrij Vasiliev, Jurij Kasjkarov, Algimantas Salna, Sergey Bulygin) 
• 1988 Soviet Union, (Dmitrij Vasiliev, Sergei Tsjepikov, Aleksandr Popov, Valerij Medvedtsev) 
• 1992 Germany, (Ricco Gross, Jens Steinigen, Mark Kirchner, Fritz Fischer) 
• 1994 Germany, (Ricco Gross, Frank Luck, Mark Kirchner, Sven Fischer) 
• 1998 Germany, (Ricco Gross, Peter Sendl, Sven Fischer, Frank Luck) 
• 2002 Norway, (Halvard Hanevold, Frode Andresen, Egil Gjelland, Ole Einar Bjørndalen) 
• 2006 Germany, (Ricco Gross, Michael Rösch, Sven Fischer, Michael Greis) 
• 2010 Norway, (Halvard Hanevold, Tarjei Bø, Emil Hegle Svendsen, Ole Einar Bjørndalen) 
• 2014 Germany, (Erik Lesser, Daniel Böhm, Arnd Peiffer, Simon Schempp) 
• 2018 Sweden, (Peppe Femling, Jesper Nelin, Sebastian Samuelsson, Fredrik Lindström) 
• 2022 Norway, (Sturla Holm Lægreid, Tarjei Bø, Johannes Thingnes Bø, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen)  

World Champions – Men’s Relay 

• 1966 Norway, (Jon Istad, Ragnar Tveiten, Ivar Nordkild, Olav Jordet) 
• 1967 Norway, (Jon Isatd, Ragnar Tveiten, Ola Wærhaug, Olav Jordet) 
• 1969 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Viktor Mamatov, Rinnat Safin, Vladimir Gundartsev) 
• 1970 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Viktor Mamatov, Rinnat Safin, Alexander Ushkov) 
• 1971 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Viktor Mamatov, Rinnat Safin, Nazim Mukhitov) 
• 1973 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Rinnat Safin, Juri Kolmakov, Gennady Kovalev) 
• 1974 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Alexander Ushakov, Nikolay Kruglov, Juri Kolmakov) 
• 1975 Finland, (Carl-Henrik Flöjt, Simo Halonen, Juhani Suutarinen, Heikki Ikola) 
• 1977 Soviet Union, (Alexander Tikhonov, Aleksandr Elizarov, Alexander Ushakov, Nikolay Kruglov) 
• 1978 DDR, (Manfred Beer, Frank Ullrich, Klaus Siebert, Eberhard Rösch) 
• 1979 DDR, (Manfred Beer, Klaus Siebert, Frank Ullrich, Eberhard Rösch) 
• 1981 DDR, (Mathias Jung, Matthias Jacob, Frank Ullrich, Eberhard Rösch) 
• 1982 DDR, (Frank Ullrich, Mathias Jung, Matthias Jacob, Bernd Helmich) 
• 1983 Soviet Union, (Algimantas Salna, Juri Kashkarov, Petr Miloradov, Sergei Bulygin) 
• 1985 Soviet Union, (Juri Kahskarov, Algimantas Salna, Sergei Bulygin, Andrei Senkov) 
• 1986 Soviet Union, (Juri Kashkarov, Dmitry Vasilyev, Valeriy Medvedtsev, Sergei Bulygin) 
• 1987 DDR, (Frank-Peter Rötsch, Matthias Jacob, André Sehmisch, Jürgen Wirth) 
• 1989 DDR, (Frank Luck, André Sehmisch, Birk Anders, Frank-Peter Rötsch) 
• 1990 Italy, (Pieralberto Carrara, Wilfried Pallhuber, Johann Passler, Andreas Zingerle) 
• 1991 Germany, (Ricco Gross, Frank Luck, Mark Kirchner, Fritz Fischer) 
• 1993 Italy, (Wilfried Pallhuber, Johann Passler, Pieralberto Carrara, Andreas Zingerle) 
• 1995 Germany, (Ricco Gross, Mark Kirchner, Frank Luck, Sven Fischer) 
• 1996 Russia, (Viktor Maigourov, Vladimir Dratchev, Sergei Tarasov, Aleksey Kobelev) 
• 1997 Germany, (Ricco Gross, Peter Sendel, Sven Fischer, Frank Luck) 
• 1998 Belarus, (Alexei Aidarov, Petr Ivashko, Vaim Sashurin, Oleg Ryzhenkov) 
• 2000 Russia, (Viktor Maigourov, Sergei Rozhkov, Vladimir Drachev, Pavel Rostovtsev) 
• 2001 France, (Gilles Marguet, Vincent Defrasne, Julien Robert, Raphael Poiree) 
• 2003 Germany, (Peter Sendel, Sven Fischer, Ricco Gross, Frank Luck) 
• 2004 Germany, (Frank Luck, Ricco Gross, Sven Fischer, Michael Greis) 
• 2005 Norway, (Halvard Hanevold, Stian Eckhoff, Egil Gjelland, Ole Einar Bjørndalen) 
• 2007 Russia, (Ivan Tcherezov, Maxim Chudov, Dmitri Yaroshenko, Nikolay Kruglov jr) 
• 2008 Russia, (Ivan Tcherezov, Nikolay Kruglov jr, Dmitri Yaroshenko, Maxim Chudov) 
• 2009 Norway, (Emil Hegle Svendsen, Lars Berger, Halvard Hanevold, Ole Einar Bjørndalen) 
• 2011 Norway, (Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Alexander Os, Emil Hegle Svendsen, Tarjei Bø) 
• 2012 Norway, (Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Rune Brattsveen, Tarjei Bø, Emil Hegle Svendsen) 
• 2013 Norway, (Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Henrik L’Abée-Lund, Tarjei Bø, Emil Hegle Svendsen) 
• 2015 Germany, (Erik Lesser, Daniel Böhm, Arnd Peiffer, Simon Schempp) 
• 2016 Norway, (Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Tarjei Bø, Johannes Thingnes Bø, Emil Hegle Svendsen) 
• 2017 Russia, (Alexey Volkov, Maxim Tsvetkov, Anton Babikov, Anton Shipulin) 
• 2019 Norway, (Lars Helge Birkeland, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, Tarjei Bø, Johannes Thingnes Bø) 
• 2020 France, (Emilien Jacquelin, Martin Fourcade, Simon Desthieux, Quentin Fillon Maillet) 
• 2021 Norway, (Sturla Holm Lægreid, Tarjei Bø, Johannes Thingnes Bø, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen) 
• 2023 France, (Antonin Guigonnat, Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet) 
• 2024 Sweden, (Viktor Brandt, Jesper Nelin, Martin Ponsiluoma, Sebastian Samuelsson) 
• 2025 Norway, (Endre Strømsheim, Tarjei Bø, Sturla Holm Lægreid, Johannes Thingnes Bø) 

FAVORITES 

NORWAY 

Reigning both Olympic and World Champions. The best team on the skis, but the French team has quicker shooters. Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen is a killer at the anchor leg, but it’s not going to be a gold medal the way it was in Beijing 2022. Anyway, most people believe it will be a fight between Norway and France. 

FRANCE 

Two years ago, France dominated the relays, but lately Norway has been the best team. France won the mixed relay, and they are as strong in the men’s relay. Eric Perrot is normally the best standing shooter, and Quentin Fillon Maillet has confidence with his sprint-victory. 

ITALY 

Disappointing Games for the home team, especially for Tommaso Giacomel, who has not delivered as expected. Lukas Hofer is at his training venue, and the potential is definitely there. But it will take something extra to beat Norway and France. 

OUTSIDERS 

SWEDEN 

Boosted after the gold to Martin Ponsiluma in the pursuit race. But Sebastian Samuelsson has not been at his best, and Jesper Nelin was outside the top 60 in the sprint and missed the pursuit. But the Swedes won in windy conditions in PyeongChang in 2018, and they also won the World Champs in 2024. 

GERMANY 

Not as strong as some years ago. But they are not the nation you want to write off in the fight for the medals. Some of the nations above will need to face problems if Germany wants to take a medal. Strelow, Horn and Nawrath have been the best so far and the Germans got bronze in the mixed relay. 

You will find the start list HERE

Biathlon schedule – Milano-Cortina 2026

Sunday, February 8: Mixed Relay (M+W) (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:05 CET: Mixed Relay, Men + Women

Tuesday, February 10: Men 20km Individual (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:30 CET: 20km Individual, Men

Wednesday, February 11: Women 15km Individual (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:15 CET: 15km Individual, Women

Friday, February 13: Men 10km Sprint (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:00 CET: 10km Sprint, Men

Saturday, February 14: Women 7.5km Sprint (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:45 CET: 7.5km Sprint, Women

Sunday, February 15: Men 12.5km Pursuit and Women 10km Pursuit (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:15 CET: 12.5km Pursuit, Men
• 14:45 CET: 10km Pursuit, Women

Tuesday, February 17: Men 4×7.5km Relay (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:30 CET: 4×7.5km Relay, Men

Wednesday, February 18: Women 4x6km Relay (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:45 CET: 4x6km Relay, Women

Friday, February 20: Men 15km Mass Start (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:15 CET: 15km Mass Start, Men

Saturday, February 21: Women 12.5km Mass Start (More information can be found HERE)

• 14:15 CET: 12.5km Mass Start, Women

The complete program for the Winter Olympic Games can be found HERE

Antholz-Anterselva promises breathtaking courses for athletes and spectacular viewing for fans. With every shot and ski stride counting, the biathletes will aim for the podium in every race, making the biathlon one of the most eagerly watched events of the 2026 Winter Games.

Are you interested in biathlon? Click HERE and read more about it.

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