United States

Sweden Takes Gold in Biathlon in Front of King

Team USA came in a respectable sixth place, out of 18 relay teams

Sweden has routed powerhouses Norway and Germany to capture the gold medal in the men's 4x7.5-kilometer relay in front of their king, Carl XVI Gustaf, to close out the biathlon competition at the Pyeongchang Games.

Peppe Femling, Jesper Nelin, Sebastian Samuelsson and Fredrik Lindstroem teamed up to win by 55.5 seconds Friday over Norway, which took home the silver medal.

The Germans won the bronze, marking the seventh time they have medaled in this event in the last eight Olympics.

Norway and Germany entered the race tied in the overall gold medal lead at the Pyeongchang Games at 13 and both desperately wanted to win.

Germany was in front until the final leg when Simon Schempp missed four of eight shots and had to do a penalty lap.

France's Martin Fourcade, who in Pyeongchang has already become the country's most successful Olympian of all-time, didn't get his fourth Pyeongchang Olympic gold medal in the event.

Fourcade would have become only the second biathlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympic Games, joining Norway's Ole Einar Bjourndalen, who accomplished the feat at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

Team USA came in a respectable sixth place, out of 18 relay teams. The U.S. Biathlon Association that's a tie for the best-ever finish for a U.S. team in the men's relay — the only other time U.S. finished in sixth was at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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