Biathlon: Anna-Karin Heijdenberg Misses Medal in Women's Relay After a Costly Fall

Swedish biathlete Anna-Karin Heijdenberg was in a strong position to help her team secure a European Championship medal in the women’s relay. Heading into the final shooting stage, she held a 20‑second lead over the bronze medal pace. However, after committing four shooting errors, she was forced into a penalty round which ultimately cost the team dearly, dropping their finish to sixth place.

The shooting range at Italian Martell proved treacherous on the third and fourth legs of the relay, with several top nations needing extra shots to avoid penalties. In the midst of fatigue from competing in four events over five days, Heijdenberg admitted that it wasn’t only her body that was tired – her focus had also diminished, leading to the critical mistakes on the range.

The article also notes that teammate Johanna Skottheim, who is contending for a reserve spot at the World Championships relay in Lenzerheide, delivered an impressive performance by posting the fastest time on the range with only 21 seconds and achieving perfect accuracy in the standing position. Reserve Annie Lindh and Emma Nilsson also contributed, with Lindh requiring only one extra shot and Nilsson three, allowing Sweden to remain in close contention until Heijdenberg’s fall proved decisive. In the men’s relay, Sweden finished fifth, while Norway dominated the event by a significant margin before Germany and France.