Norway ease to opening biathlon World Championship relay gold

The Norwegians had not won a World Cup mixed relay event yet this season, but on the biggest stage, the team of Marte Olsbu Roiseland, Tiril Eckhoff, Tarjei Boe and his younger brother Johannes Thingnes, came home 15.6 seconds clear of Italy in second.

The Italian team of Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer, Lukas Hofer and Dominik Windisch took silver, with the Czech team of Eva Kristejn Puskarcikova, Marketa Davidova, Ondrej Moravec and Michal Krcmar earning bronze.

The World Cup leaders in the event, France, had to settle for seventh spot, with Julia Simon and Justine Braisaz enduring difficult days on the range as they missed nine targets between them.

The action continues on Friday with the women's 7.5km sprint.