Marte Olsbu Røiseland, Tiril Eckhoff, Johannes Thingnes Bø, and Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen of Norway won the opening race, a mixed relay, of the IBU World Championships in Östersund, Sweden. The foursome won the race in 1:17:41.3 hours.
The race format requires women to contest the first two legs, or 2 x 6-kilometers, whereas as the men ski the final two legs, or 2 x 7.5 k. On the way to the win, Norway used seven spares.
Germany’s Vanessa Hinz, Denise, Herrmann, Arnd Peiffer, and Benedikt Doll placed second, 13.1 seconds behind after using nine spares total. Herrmann’s skiing prowess, she is a former World Cup cross-country skier for Germany, brought her team into the lead as she tagged Peiffer.
The Norwegians ultimately took control of the race as they gapped Germany in second place, and put 1:09.6 minutes into Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer, Lukas Hofer, and Dominik Windisch for third overall.