Biathlon: a historic victory for Switzerland in more ways than one
At midday on Sunday, Switzerland’s Niklas Hartweg and Aita Gasparin made history by winning the mixed singles relay at the Biathlon World Cup in Pokljuka (Slovenia). It was not only Switzerland’s first victory in a relay, but also its fifth on the world circuit.
Niklas Hartweg is also the first man in history to be involved in a Swiss World Cup victory. Previous triumphs have been achieved by women: Selina Gasparin in 2013 (twice in the sprint) and Lena Haecki-Gross in 2024 (individual and mass-start).
The Slovenian stadium in Pokljuka is a good place for Switzerland to be: in December 2018, they claimed their only World Cup podium to date in the mixed relay and, in 2023, Niklas Hartweg and Amy Baserga finished third in the mixed singles relay.
This victory also gave Switzerland its seventh World Cup relay podium: three times in a women’s relay, three times in a mixed singles relay and once in a mixed relay… Aita Gasparin took part in four of the seven podium finishes!
Finally, the victory in Slovenia gave Switzerland its 27th ever podium finish in a biathlon World Cup. The first came in December 2006 with Matthias Simmen.
- Pokljuka: Aita Gasparin and Niklas Hartweg give Switzerland its first victory in a mixed singles relay, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Emilien Jacquelin fourth
- Aita Gasparin and Niklas Hartweg, winners of the Pokljuka mixed singles relay, tell Nordic Magazine: “It’s so nice to be at the top”.
