19 teams competed in one of the loudest biathlon venues on the World Cup circuit in the final women's team relay before the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, and the competition didn't disappoint. 

Stage 5 of the IBU World Cup kicked off in Ruhpolding, Germany with the women's 4x6km relay.

The race saw multiple lead changes from various countries, but it was France and Italy who were neck and neck in the final two laps. Both teams shot clean in the final shooting stage, but it was Norway who came from behind over the final leg of the relay to steal the victory.

It was an absolute battle down to the finish line between Italian biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and Norway's Maren Kirkeeide. In the end, it was Kirkeeide who used a final boost of energy and speed to overtake Vittozzi steps from the finish line and win gold just by 0.9 seconds.

"It's my first relay win, so that was really fun," Kirkeeide said after the race.

Marthe Krakstad Johansen, Juni Arnekleiv, Karoline Offigstad Knotten and Kirkeeide led Norway across the line in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 6.2 seconds. The team placed second in Oberhof.

Italian biathletes Hannah Auchentaller, Dorothea Wierer, Michela Carrara and Vittozzi earned silver after the team was edged out of first place by less than a second thanks to the Norwegians.

Sweden claimed the final spot on the podium in the women's relay. Johanna Skottheim, Linn Gestblom, Elvira Oeberg and Hanna Oeberg finished 2.1 seconds behind the Italian squad for bronze.

The women's relay race was the closest finish in recent years, and it was the Norwegian women's first victory since 2024. The tight contest is a probable indicator of an exciting Olympic women's relay to come in Milan Cortina in just a few weeks.

It'll be a day off for the women's field in Ruhpolding as the men's 4x7.5km relay competition takes center stage on Thursday.