Sweden's Ponsiluoma Captures First Biathlon Gold in Dramatic Fashion

Ponsiluoma wins Olympic biathlon pursuit gold

Martin Ponsiluoma wins men's 12.5km biathlon pursuit gold at the Winter Olympics, holding nerve on final shoot.

“Right now it is difficult to understand what ‌I've done, it will be later tonight before I understand what a super race it was...”

Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden has just made history, winning the men's 12.5km pursuit gold at the Winter Olympics with a flawless final shoot, hitting all five shots! This incredible performance secures Sweden's first biathlon medal at the Games. Norway's Sturla Holm Laegreid takes silver, 20.6 seconds behind Ponsiluoma.

Ponsiluoma, known as “Ponsi” to his team, started the day in seventh place but showed nerves of steel, especially after leader Emilien Jacquelin of France missed twice, handing the Swede the win. "I tried to not look at his targets, but I heard, I thought it was two misses, so I just tried to go in and focus on myself," Ponsiluoma said.

Emilien Jacquelin of France gave it his all, racing with his signature daring style, but two late misses ultimately cost him the gold medal. He had to settle for bronze after a thrilling final lap.

The pursuit's start order was determined by the sprint's finishing times. Quentin Fillon Maillet of France led the pack, followed closely by Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway, just 13.7 seconds behind. Martin Ponsiluoma, starting in seventh place, was considered an underdog for the gold medal.

The men's 12.5km pursuit was a thriller, with five 2.5km laps and four shooting ranges to test the athletes' nerves. The bright sunshine and changeable wind made aiming a challenge, and each miss sent them on a 150-metre penalty loop, adding pressure to the competitors.

Emilien Jacquelin of France was on fire early, leading after the third shoot, but it was his performance at the final shoot that let him down, costing him the gold.

Emilien Jacquelin of France crumbled under pressure as Martin Ponsiluoma closed in, missing twice at the final shoot and handing the Swede a golden opportunity. Jacquelin's mistakes sent him to two penalty loops, allowing Ponsiluoma to seize the lead and ultimately claim gold in the men's 12.5km pursuit.

🥇 Speed, precision and control wins a very first Olympic #Gold medal for Martin PONSILUOMA in the biathlon men's 12.5km pursuit 🔥

This marks Sweden’s first biathlon medal of #MilanoCortina2026 and their first Gold medal in the event since 2010 🤩 @biathlonworld |… pic.twitter.com/0ZnnEkPOSC

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 15, 2026

Norway's Sturla Holm Laegreid snatched silver, 20.6 seconds behind Ponsiluoma, while Jacquelin had to settle for bronze. Ponsiluoma's win marked a turnaround for Sweden, banishing thoughts of their poor start to the Games with a thrilling finish.

“Right now it is difficult to understand what ‌I've done, it will be later tonight before I understand what a super race it was,” a delighted Ponsiluoma told Swedish TV.

“I can't do it any better - I shot fast, I shot well and I skied well. It was ⁠tough on the last ⁠lap, but it was nice ‌to get over the finish line.”