The final biathlon race of the Olympic Games welcomed the athletes with heavy snowfall.
At the first shooting, misses came from Vitozzi, Michelon, Hanna Oeberg, Kirkeeide and Preuss — a large number of top athletes. Fortunately for them, none of the leaders — Simon, Wierer, Jeanmonnot — decided to push the pace, and they were quickly caught by almost the entire pack that avoided the penalty loop, including Bulgaria’s Hristova and Austria’s Andexer.
Julie Simon once again shot faster than anyone else and left with a seven-second advantage. The leading group lost Braisaz, Gestblom and Wierer. Meanwhile, the early strugglers — Vitozzi, Oeberg, Kirkeeide and Preuss — each added another miss.
Dorothea Wierer found the strength to close a 20-second gap and, together with Vobornikova, bridged back to the group.
Then the real drama began — Simon, Jeanmonnot and Wierer each missed once, and a small group featuring Michelon, Elvira Oeberg and Hristova broke away to the front. The trio set a strong pace, and the chasers could not gain a single second on them.
There was no time to relax, however. Just ten seconds behind were Voigt, Vobornikova and Magnusson. Within one penalty loop distance were all the Olympic medalists from these Games, trying to close the gap. Toward the end of the lap, Michelon launched a bold attack and gained a small six-second advantage.
But at the final standing shooting, most athletes missed, and only Vobornikova, Magnusson, Simon and Wierer managed to shoot clean.
Vobornikova and Magnusson led the race, Julie Simon trailed by five seconds, Michelon by eight, and Wierer by eleven.
Contrary to expectations, the French athletes could not quickly catch the leading pair, and the Czech athlete even created a small gap over the Swede.
The decisive moment came on the main climb. Oceane Michelon easily passed Anna Magnusson and closed to within three seconds of the Czech, but Vobornikova held firm on that climb. Magnusson, meanwhile, also lost ground to Julie Simon.
However, the Czech could not maintain the pace over the entire distance. First Michelon overtook Vobornikova, and then on the climb into the stadium, Julie Simon moved into second place.
The French women’s team was clearly the strongest at these Olympic Games. For Vobornikova, it is the first individual medal of her career at a major championship.
| Click on the flag to select team | № | Shooting | - | Time | ||
| 1 |  |
Oceane Michelon | 5 | 1+0+0+1 | 2 | 37:18.1 |
| 2 | |
Julia Simon | 1 | 0+0+1+0 | 1 | +6.6 |
| 3 |  |
Tereza Vobornikova | 20 | 1+0+0+0 | 1 | +7.4 |
| 4 |  |
Anna Magnusson | 8 | 0+0+0+0 | 0 | +26.6 |
| 5 |  |
Dorothea Wierer | 12 | 0+1+1+0 | 2 | +30.0 |
| 6 | |
Karin Oeberg Elvira | 10 | 0+0+0+1 | 1 | +31.9 |
| 7 |  |
Vanessa Voigt | 16 | 0+0+0+1 | 1 | +36.2 |
| 8 |  |
Offigstad Knotten Karoline | 21 | 1+0+1+0 | 2 | +43.8 |
| 9 |  |
Anna Andexer | 24 | 0+0+1+0 | 1 | +59.2 |
| 10 | |
Hanna Oeberg | 9 | 1+1+1+0 | 3 | +1:03.1 |
| 11 |  |
Joanna Jakiela | 29 | 0+1+0+1 | 2 | +1:04.8 |
| 12 | |
Maren Kirkeeide | 2 | 1+1+0+2 | 4 | +1:05.3 |
| 13 | |
Krakstad Johansen Marthe | 28 | 0+0+0+1 | 1 | +1:05.4 |
| 14 |  |
Lora Hristova | 6 | 0+0+0+2 | 2 | +1:21.9 |
| 15 | |
Natalia Sidorowicz | 25 | 1+0+1+0 | 2 | +1:25.9 |
| 16 | |
Lou Jeanmonnot | 4 | 0+0+1+2 | 3 | +1:29.6 |
| 17 | |
Janina Hettich-walz | 30 | 0+0+2+2 | 4 | +1:41.6 |
| 18 | |
Lisa Vittozzi | 3 | 1+1+0+2 | 4 | +1:43.5 |
| 19 |  |
Suvi Minkkinen | 7 | 0+0+1+0 | 1 | +1:47.0 |
| 20 | |
Milena Todorova | 19 | 0+1+1+3 | 5 | +1:56.3 |
| 21 |  |
Amy Baserga | 14 | 1+0+1+1 | 3 | +2:13.1 |
| 22 |  |
Baiba Bendika | 27 | 3+1+1+0 | 5 | +2:31.7 |
| 23 | |
Estere Volfa | 23 | 0+0+2+2 | 4 | +2:32.0 |
| 24 | |
Lea Meier | 17 | 0+0+2+2 | 4 | +3:00.3 |
| 25 | |
Linn Gestblom | 18 | 0+2+1+2 | 5 | +3:04.9 |
| 26 | |
Theresa Hauser Lisa | 15 | 3+1+1+0 | 5 | +3:08.4 |
| 27 | |
Justine Braisaz-bouchet | 11 | 0+2+2+2 | 6 | +3:12.2 |
| 28 | |
Franziska Preuss | 13 | 1+1+4+1 | 7 | +3:32.4 |
| 29 |  |
Anne De Besche | 26 | 0+0+1+1 | 2 | +4:00.1 |
| 30 | |
Kamila Zuk | 22 | 2+3+3+2 | 10 | +6:09.4 |
