Swedish biathletes have blamed their waxing team for a disastrous performance in the men’s mass start at the Winter Olympics, with Sebastian Samuelsson describing his skis as “the worst I ever had.” The Swedes, usually medal contenders, finished 18th, 21st, and 26th in the 30-man field.
Samuelsson told Swedish TV: “The skis were the worst I ever had. They were crap. Today the glide from the skis was very bad ... I’m here to fight for medals, but today I go without.” Ski waxing is crucial for speed, and getting it wrong can make skiing feel like moving through treacle.
In contrast, Norway’s Johannes Dale-Skjevdal won gold with perfect shooting, while compatriot Sturla Holm Lægreid took silver. France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet claimed bronze, benefiting from slick skis. Swedish wax technicians met the racers at the finish line to apologise for their misjudgement.
Despite their frustration, the athletes were forgiving. Martin Ponsiluoma said: “You just have to laugh at it. When you feel like you don’t have the materials, you feel it would have taken 25 hits to beat Dale-Skjevdal today.” Jesper Nelin added: “This kind of thing happens to all nations at some point and we have a very good waxing team, it’s just not going well right now.”
Sweden’s only biathlon victory at the Games remains Ponsiluoma’s gold in the men’s pursuit, one of just three medals won in the event at the 2026 Olympics.
