Norway's Sturla Holm Laegreid is doing his best here to get them back into medal contention.

He has his eye on a fourth Games medal.

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We are at the second exchange, which is the halfway point, here's how the medal standings look:

GOLD - France

SILVER - Finland

BRONZE - Sweden

Norway are in fourth, Switzerland in fifth and Germany in sixth.

Rob Walker
Biathlon and cross-country co-commentator on BBC Two

We should spare a moment to remember the team-mate Norway tragically lost just before Christmas.

Sivert Guttorm Bakken will be in the minds of all four of the Norwegian biathletes today. Some of the team were so distraught, they were unable to compete until after his funeral. Some weren't even sure they would make this starting line-up.

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Defending Olympic champions Canada are through to the final of the women's team pursuit - they were far too strong for the United States in their semi-final.

The second semi-final was a much closer contest and was won by the Netherlands, who defeated Beijing silver medallists Japan by just 0.11 seconds.

The medals in the men's and women's events will be decided from about 15:20 GMT onwards.

Germany's David Zobel has just smashed his shooting leg, getting five in five to take the lead. The German fans are loving it in the crowd!

But it's short-lived because France have recovered from a shakey start to go into first.

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Rob Walker
Biathlon and cross-country co-commentator on BBC Two

The psychology of Biathlon is truly fascinating.

It's two skillsets that shouldn't go together. It's like asking a 1,500m runner to step off the track and try and hit a treble 20.

Your breathing has to be under control and your pulse lowered. It's impossible to get their pulses down to resting rate. They might lower it by 20 bpm if you're lucky.

Germany are in second place, 17.3 seconds behind leaders Norway.

Finland are in third, closely followed by Switzerland in fourth and Sweden in fifth.

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Norway are leading this biathlon and they will no doubt be doing this for former team-mate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who died aged 27 in December 2025.

The biathlete had been hoping to compete at the Winter Olympics, butwas found dead in his hotel room in Lavaze, in the Italian Alps, where he had been attending a training camp.

Bakken returned to competition in 2024, having been kept out since 2022 with the heart condition myocarditis.

The president of the International Biathlon Union said his return to the sport had been "a source of immense joy".

"Sivert's comeback to biathlon after a period of great hardship was a source of immense joy for everyone in the biathlon family and an inspiring demonstration of his resilience and determination," Olle Dahlin said.

"His passing at such a young age is impossible to comprehend but he will not be forgotten and he will forever remain in our hearts."

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Norway are the reigning Olympic and world champions, plus World Cup leaders, so they are favourites to take gold.

France should run Norway close. They are the only team to beat them in this season's World Cup and they took silver behind them at the last Olympic Games in 2022.

Sweden are also having a good season, claiming bronze medals in the opening three competitions of this World Cup campaign.

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Hosts Italy have enjoyed plenty of medal success in speed skating at these Winter Olympics and they are guaranteed at least a silver in the men's team pursuit.

The Netherlands narrowly led their semi-final at the halfway mark but Italy broke away in the second half of the race to win by almost two seconds.

Their opponents in the gold medal race will be the United States, the reigning world champions, who comfortably beat China in the second semi-final.

The women's semi-finals are up next...

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There are 20 countries in this relay final!

That will probably decrease fairly quickly because you are out if you get lapped.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at Rho Arena

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All over at Rho Arena, and sadly for hosts Italy is all over for them in this competition.

Nico Hischier made the game safe for Switzerland in the final period, and they will return here tomorrow to face Finland in their quarter-final.

This was Italy's first Olympic men's ice hockey tournament since 2006, when they last hosted the Games in Turin. They didn't win a match then either.

The last time Italy's men won an Olympic ice hockey match was at Nagano 1998 - 28 years ago - when they beat Austria 5-2.

In the other men's play-off, Germany beat France 5-1.

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The men's biathlon 4 x 7.5km relay is up next.

For those of you who don't know how it works, here's a quick explainer:

The first member of each team starts simultaneously. Once they have completed their leg of the race, spanning three laps, they tag the next member of their team to get under way. Teams must withdraw if they get lapped.

Each biathlete stops once at the shooting range at the end of the first two laps - the first shooting prone, the second standing.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at Rho Arena

One of the best parts of the ice hockey is one which is shamefully hidden from spectators at home.

Three times a period they have a 'power break' - a chance for the ice to be cleaned, players to take a drink, and TV commercials to be shown.

The way the ice is cleaned is by six volunteers, skating in unison in their blue and green uniforms, pushing hand ploughs up and down the ice to smooth out rough edges.

It is impressive and strangely mesmeric.

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If you've ever watched track cycling then you'll be fairly familiar with the premise of the team pursuit.

In the speed skating version, each team of three skaters starts on opposite sides of the 400m track.

The women race over six laps, the men over eight, and the quickest team over the line - or if one team catches and overtakes the other - wins the race.

Two more speed skating gold medals will be handed out this afternoon as the men's and women's team pursuit events come to a conclusion.

The men's semi-finals are up first, with host nation and fastest qualifiers Italy up against the Netherlands and China taking on the United States.

In the women's event, it's the USA against Canada and the Netherlands against Japan.

We're looking at just before 15:30 GMT for the two finals.

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There are four women's curling matches under way in the round robin phase.

• Sweden v Canada
• Italy v Japan
• Denmark v United States
• South Korea v Switzerland

This will be their seventh match and Sweden are the only team that are unbeaten at this stage.

South Korea, Switzerland and United States are all level on four wins, while Canada and Denmark have won three.

GB women are not in action today, but will be keeping an eye on these matches as they have two wins from six so far and are looking unlikely to qualify for the play-offs.

Andy Stevenson
Ski jumping and nordic commentator on BBC Two

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There was grimace on Oftebro's face (near the finish line), but I wonder if that was also a smile. He gives you the impression that he absolutely loves this sport and this battle.

He has become a double Olympic champion, following in the footsteps of his hero Jorgen Graabak. In a few days, he will compete in the team event with his brother.

Does life get much better than this?