Overview
- Norway edged Italy by 0.9 seconds with Sweden third, while Germany finished 1:01.8 back after a late penalty loop by anchor Franziska Preuss.
- Germany’s lineup of Vanessa Voigt, Julia Tannheimer, Janina Hettich-Walz and Preuss showed early promise, with Voigt shooting clean and Tannheimer surging to the front before errors cost time.
- DSV sport director Felix Bitterling said Olympic nominations should be finalized after Ruhpolding, noting the automatic criteria of one top-8 or two top-15 results and leaving a narrow discretionary option.
- Selina Grotian was left out of the relay and now targets Friday’s sprint and Sunday’s pursuit to meet the standard, with a possible Nove Mesto start if needed.
- Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn skipped Ruhpolding due to illness and after attending teammate Sivert Bakken’s funeral, and he is expected to seek race sharpness in Nove Mesto before Olympic preparations.