4 × 7.5 kilometres Relay, Men1
| Date | 15 February 1968 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Olympic | |
| Location | Autrans | |
| Participants | 56 from 14 countries | |
| Format | Penalty loop (200 metres) skied for each missed target, after which another attempt had to be made. | |
| Details | Course Length: ? Height Differential: 65 m Maximum Climb: 50 m Shooting 1: Prone at 2.5 km, 150 m range Shooting 2: Standing at 5.0 km, 150 m range Total Climbing: 195 m | |
Four days after the 20 km biathlon the new Olympic event, the biathlon relay, was organized. Norway had won this event in both World Relay Championships organized so far, in 1966 and 1967, but the Soviet Union was regarded as the favorites, having a team without weak points in the lineup. The relay was supposed to start in the morning, but it was a very foggy morning in Autrans, and the race had to be postponed until the afternoon.
Aleksandr Tikhonov was clearly the fastest skier on the first leg, and in spite of a penalty lap he brought the Soviet Union into a clear lead, 45 seconds ahead of Sweden. Norway in third place was 1:43 behind and seemingly too far behind to fight for the gold medal. On the second leg, Nikolay Puzanov increased the lead to 1:41 over Sweden, but Norway’s Olav Jordet, in spite of two penalty laps, almost caught Sweden’s Tore Eriksson, and was only two seconds behind at the exchange. On the third leg, the newly crowned Olympic Champion Magnar Solberg ran another great leg. With the fastest split-time of the day he was 1:16 behind Soviet Union’s Viktor Mamatov at the last exchange. On the last leg Vladimir Gundartsev skied a good time, and when Norway’s Jon Istad had to ski two penalty laps, the Soviet Union team won with a comfortable margin of 1:48. Sweden, the only team to avoid penalty laps, secured the bronze medal, 2:36 behind Norway. Poland’s anchor-leg skier Stanisław Szczepaniak passed Finland in the fight for fourth place.
| Pos | Competitors | NOC | Time | Misses | Extra Shots | Shooting 1 Misses | Shooting 1 Extra Shots | Shooting 1 | Shooting 2 Misses | Shooting 2 Extra Shots | Shooting 2 | Exchange | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union |  URS | 2-13:02.4 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | Gold | ||
| Lead-Off | Aleksandr Tikhonov | 33:28.9 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 33:28.9 (1) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Nikolay Puzanov | 34:07.2 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-07:36.1 (1) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Viktor Mamatov | 32:53.2 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-40:29.3 (1) | ||||
| Anchor | Vladimir Gundartsev | 32:33.1 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-13:02.4 (1) | ||||
| 2 | Norway |  NOR | 2-14:50.2 | 5 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | Silver | ||
| Lead-Off | Ola Wærhaug | 35:12.1 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 35:12.1 (3) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Olav Jordet | 34:06.8 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-09:18.9 (3) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Magnar Solberg | 32:26.4 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-41:45.3 (2) | ||||
| Anchor | Jon Istad | 33:04.9 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-14:50.2 (2) | ||||
| 3 | Sweden |  SWE | 2-17:26.3 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | Bronze | ||
| Lead-Off | Lars-Göran Arwidson | 34:13.3 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 34:13.3 (2) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Tore Eriksson | 35:03.8 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-09:17.1 (2) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Olle Petrusson | 35:00.0 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-44:17.1 (3) | ||||
| Anchor | Holmfrid Olsson | 33:09.2 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-17:26.3 (3) | ||||
| 4 | Poland |  POL | 2-20:19.6 | 4 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Józef Różak | 36:46.3 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 36:46.3 (5) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Andrzej Fiedor | 36:40.6 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-13:26.9 (6) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Stanisław Łukaszczyk | 34:01.9 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-47:28.8 (5) | ||||
| Anchor | Stanisław Szczepaniak | 32:50.8 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-20:19.6 (4) | ||||
| 5 | Finland |  FIN | 2-20:41.8 | 5 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Juhani Suutarinen | 38:05.0 | 3 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 38:05.0 (11) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Heikki Flöjt | 35:57.3 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-14:02.3 (7) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Kalevi Vähäkylä | 32:52.3 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-46:54.6 (4) | ||||
| Anchor | Arvo Kinnari | 33:47.2 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-20:41.8 (5) | ||||
| 6 | East Germany |  GDR | 2-21:54.5 | 4 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Heinz Kluge | 36:48.1 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 36:48.1 (6) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Hans-Gert Jahn | 36:22.5 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-13:10.6 (5) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Horst Koschka | 35:22.7 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-48:33.3 (6) | ||||
| Anchor | Dieter Speer | 33:21.2 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-21:54.5 (6) | ||||
| 7 | Romania |  ROU | 2-25:39.8 | 4 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Gheorghe Cimpoia | 36:54.2 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 36:54.2 (7) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Constantin Carabela | 34:54.7 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-11:48.9 (4) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Nicolae Bărbășescu | 38:50.3 | 4 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-50:39.2 (7) | ||||
| Anchor | Vilmoș Gheorghe | 35:00.6 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-25:39.8 (7) | ||||
| 8 | United States |  USA | 2-28:35.5 | 8 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Ralph Wakley | 36:11.6 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 36:11.6 (4) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Edward Williams | 38:33.2 | 4 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-14:44.8 (8) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Bill Spencer | 37:49.2 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-52:34.0 (8) | ||||
| Anchor | John Ehrensbeck | 36:01.5 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-28:35.5 (8) | ||||
| 9 | West Germany |  FRG | 2-29:56.6 | 6 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Herbert Hindelang | 40:11.4 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 40:11.4 (13) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Theo Merkel | 35:38.9 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-15:50.3 (10) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Xaver Kraus | 37:03.6 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-52:53.9 (9) | ||||
| Anchor | Gerhard Gehring | 37:02.7 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-29:56.6 (9) | ||||
| 10 | France |  FRA | 2-31:12.9 | 10 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Daniel Claudon | 37:15.2 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 37:15.2 (8) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Serge Legrand | 38:52.1 | 3 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-16:07.3 (11) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Aimé Gruet-Masson | 38:43.7 | 3 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-54:51.0 (11) | ||||
| Anchor | Jean-Claude Viry | 36:21.9 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-31:12.9 (10) | ||||
| 11 | Austria |  AUT | 2-33:47.1 | 10 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Paul Ernst | 37:46.2 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 37:46.2 (10) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Adolf Scherwitzl | 37:20.0 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-15:06.2 (9) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Horst Schneider | 38:04.0 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-53:10.2 (10) | ||||
| Anchor | Franz Vetter | 40:36.9 | 8 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-33:47.1 (11) | ||||
| 12 | Great Britain |  GBR | 2-34:40.9 | 9 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Marcus Halliday | 37:43.6 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 37:43.6 (9) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Alan Notley | 39:17.2 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-17:00.8 (12) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Peter Tancock | 40:20.8 | 5 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-57:21.6 (13) | ||||
| Anchor | Frederick Andrew | 37:19.3 | 1 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-34:40.9 (12) | ||||
| 13 | Japan |  JPN | 2-35:21.0 | 9 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-Off | Isao Ono | 38:42.3 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 38:42.3 (12) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Miki Shibuya | 39:07.5 | 0 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-17:49.8 (13) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | Shozo Okuyama | 39:05.1 | 5 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 1-56:54.9 (12) | ||||
| Anchor | Hajime Yoshimura | 38:26.1 | 2 | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | 2-35:21.0 (13) | ||||
| Canada |  CAN | – | – | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | ||||
| Lead-Off | George Ede | – | – | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | ||||
| 2nd Leg | Knowles McGill | – | – | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | ||||
| 3rd Leg | George Rattai | – | – | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) | ||||
| Anchor | Esko Karu | – | – | – | – | – | – (–) | – | – | – (–) | – (–) |