The French team claimed a commanding victory in the relay despite having to ski a penalty loop.
Just like in the men’s race, France created problems for themselves early on. Camille Bene failed to clear all the targets on her opening leg. By the end of the first leg, the field was already badly split.
Bulgaria surprisingly led at that point — Laura Hristova, recent individual medalist, showed just how strong she is. But by the end of the leg, Sweden’s Linn Gestblom caught and passed her. Tanmayer and Hristova were five seconds back, Ukraine’s Merkushyna 16 seconds, while Norway’s Marthe Johansen barely held on, losing 15 seconds on the final lap and handing over 24 seconds behind.
Italy’s Autentaller was 30 seconds down, while Camille Bene had dropped to 55 seconds behind.
Everything changed at the next shooting. Anna Magnusson went to a penalty loop, and Sweden and France were suddenly together 40 seconds behind the new leader, Franziska Preuss. Dorothea Wierer also made a mistake and took one penalty loop.
Lou Jeanmonnot may not be Emilien Jacquelin, but she delivered. The Frenchwoman completely erased Camille Bene’s earlier setback. Juni Arnekleiv held a 10-second advantage after the fourth shooting, but quickly lost it as Todorova, Bendika and Jeanmonnot caught her.
At the exchange the order was: Latvia – Bulgaria – France – Norway (+16), Belgium (+21), Sweden (+24), Czechia (+26), Ukraine (+36). Germany were already 47 seconds down after Franziska Preuss struggled on the standing stage, and Italy trailed by exactly one minute.
Océane Michelon immediately began pulling away from the less experienced rivals, and after a perfect prone stage her advantage reached 30 seconds over Knotten, Zdravnikova and Elvira Öberg. The Frenchwoman did not slow down and extended the lead to 45 seconds after the standing stage.
At the final exchange, France led by 47 seconds over Sweden and Norway, with Czechia six seconds further back. Germany were already 1:22 behind.
Bulgaria’s fairy tale ended on the sixth shooting when Zdravnikova missed two targets. Meanwhile, Michela Carrara and Dorothea Wierer struggled badly, leaving Lisa Vittozzi with a two-and-a-half-minute deficit ahead of the mass start.
Julie Simon continued to extend France’s lead. After the prone stage she was one minute ahead of Öberg and 1:11 ahead of Kirkeeide. Teresa Vinklárková ended Czech hopes of a medal with a penalty loop, dropping two minutes behind.
There was no more suspense. Julie Simon handled the final standing stage with ease and headed onto the last lap with a huge advantage. There was no real battle for silver and bronze either — the gaps between Öberg, Kirkeeide and Voigt were simply too large.
France collect almost everything at these Olympic Games, while Sweden and Norway take the remaining medals in this relay as expected.
| Shooting | Time | |||
| 1 |  |
France | 1+6 | 1:10:22.7 |
 |
Camille Bened | 0+0 1+3 | ||
|
Lou Jeanmonnot | 0+2 0+0 | ||
|
Oceane Michelon | 0+0 0+1 | ||
|
Julia Simon | 0+0 0+0 | ||
| 2 |  |
Sweden | 1+7 | +51.3 |
|
Linn Gestblom (persson) | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Anna Magnusson | 1+3 0+0 | ||
|
Karin Oeberg Elvira | 0+0 0+0 | ||
|
Hanna Oeberg | 0+1 0+1 | ||
| 3 |  |
Norway | 0+7 | +1:07.6 |
|
Krakstad Johansen Marthe | 0+0 0+2 | ||
|
Juni Arnekleiv | 0+1 0+0 | ||
|
Offigstad Knotten Karoline | 0+0 0+1 | ||
|
Maren Kirkeeide | 0+1 0+2 | ||
| 4 |  |
Germany | 1+9 | +1:29.1 |
|
Julia Tannheimer | 0+0 0+2 | ||
|
Franziska Preuss | 0+0 1+3 | ||
|
Janina Hettich-walz | 0+1 0+3 | ||
|
Vanessa Voigt | 0+0 0+0 | ||
| 5 |  |
Republic Czech | 1+10 | +2:07.5 |
|
Jessica Jislova | 0+0 0+2 | ||
|
Lucie Charvatova | 0+1 0+2 | ||
|
Tereza Vobornikova | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Tereza Vinklarkova | 1+3 0+0 | ||
| 6 |  |
Poland | 0+12 | +2:14.8 |
|
Anna Maka | 0+1 0+3 | ||
|
Kamila Zuk | 0+0 0+2 | ||
|
Joanna Jakiela | 0+0 0+3 | ||
|
Natalia Sidorowicz | 0+0 0+3 | ||
| 7 |  |
Finland | 0+9 | +2:28.7 |
|
Inka Haemaelaeinen | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Sonja Leinamo | 0+3 0+2 | ||
|
Venla Lehtonen | 0+0 0+1 | ||
|
Suvi Minkkinen | 0+0 0+1 | ||
| 8 |  |
Switzerland | 1+10 | +2:47.6 |
|
Amy Baserga | 0+0 0+1 | ||
|
Aita Gasparin | 0+2 0+0 | ||
|
Lea Meier | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Lena Haecki Gross | 0+2 1+3 | ||
| 9 |  |
Ukraine | 0+9 | +3:19.5 |
|
Oleksandra Merkushyna | 0+1 0+2 | ||
|
Yuliia Dzhima | 0+0 0+2 | ||
|
Kristina Dmytrenko | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Daryna Chalyk | 0+1 0+1 | ||
| 10 |  |
Slovakia | 0+10 | +3:40.8 |
|
Ema Kapustova | 0+3 0+0 | ||
|
Paulina Batovska Fialkova | 0+1 0+0 | ||
|
Anastasia Kuzmina | 0+1 0+0 | ||
|
Maria Remenova | 0+3 0+2 | ||
| 11 |  |
Italy | 2+13 | +3:54.7 |
|
Hannah Auchentaller | 0+1 0+2 | ||
|
Dorothea Wierer | 1+3 0+2 | ||
|
Michela Carrara | 0+1 1+3 | ||
|
Lisa Vittozzi | 0+0 0+1 | ||
| 12 |  |
Bulgaria | 2+10 | +4:27.2 |
|
Lora Hristova | 0+0 0+0 | ||
|
Milena Todorova | 0+3 0+1 | ||
|
Maria Zdravkova | 0+1 2+3 | ||
|
Valentina Dimitrova | 0+0 0+2 | ||
| 13 |  |
Belgium | 0+6 | +4:43.8 |
|
Lotte Lie | 0+0 0+0 | ||
|
Maya Cloetens | 0+0 0+1 | ||
|
Eve Bouvard | 0+1 0+3 | ||
|
Marisa Emonts | 0+0 0+1 | ||
| 14 |  |
Estonia | 0+12 | +4:49.6 |
|
Susan Kuelm | 0+2 0+2 | ||
|
Regina Ermits | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Tuuli Tomingas | 0+2 0+0 | ||
|
Johanna Taliharm | 0+1 0+3 | ||
| 15 |  |
Austria | 2+15 | +4:56.6 |
|
Tamara Steiner | 0+0 1+3 | ||
|
Anna Gandler | 0+2 0+1 | ||
|
Anna Andexer | 0+1 1+3 | ||
|
Theresa Hauser Lisa | 0+2 0+3 | ||
| 16 |  |
Slovenia | 6+11 | +4:59.4 |
|
Lena Repinc | 0+0 0+3 | ||
|
Anamarija Lampic | 0+0 2+3 | ||
|
Manca Caserman | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Polona Klemencic | 0+0 4+3 | ||
| 17 |  |
Latvia | 3+14 | +5:36.7 |
|
Estere Volfa | 0+0 0+2 | ||
|
Baiba Bendika | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Sanita Bulina | 2+3 0+2 | ||
|
Keita Sabule Annija | 0+2 1+3 | ||
| 18 |  |
Usa | 3+13 | +6:26.7 |
|
Deedra Irwin | 0+1 0+1 | ||
|
Lucinda Anderson | 1+3 1+3 | ||
|
Margaret Freed | 0+1 1+3 | ||
|
Joanne Reid | 0+0 0+1 | ||
| 19 |  |
Canada | 2+11 | |
|
Pascale Paradis | 1+3 0+0 | ||
|
Shilo Rousseau | 0+0 0+2 | ||
|
Benita Peiffer | 0+3 1+3 | ||
|
Nadia Moser | |||
| 20 |  |
Lithuania | 1+11 | |
|
Judita Traubaite | 0+3 0+2 | ||
|
Lidiia Zhurauskaite | 0+0 1+3 | ||
|
Natalija Kocergina | 0+3 0+0 | ||
|
Sara Urumova |
