February 21, 2014  (Krasnaya Polyana, Russia) – Canada’s anchor, veteran Zina Kocher, was sitting a stunning 4th and gaining with fast skis, but faltered on the range as the Ukranian squad took home the gold using five spare rounds in women’s 4x6km Olympic Biathlon relay today in Sochi. Russia claimed the silver medal at 26.4s behind, while Norway was almost another 10 seconds back landing on the final podium in third for the bronze.

Canada's Zina Kocher © Nancie Battaglia

Team USA finished seventh for their best-ever Olympic women’s relay finish as the Canucks followed in eighth. The Canadians were hoping to improve on their stunning 4th place at the last World Cup relay in Annecy-Le Grand Bornand, France in Dec. but it was not to be as Kocher used two spare rounds in prone and five in standing. Her teammates, Rosanna Crawford, Megan Imrie, and Megan Heinicke skied well to put her in 4th at the final exchange.

“I attacked and went for it. Paid dearly for it in standing position and cost us podium potential. Sorry. I’ve been dreaming of this my whole life. It’s a hard one to swallow,” wrote Kocher in her blog.

USA's Susan Dunklee © Nancie Battaglia

For the American team of Susan Dunklee, Hannah Dreissigacker, Sara Studebaker and Annelies Cook it was a solid day. Dunklee raced the opening leg placing the team among the top three for the first two shooting stages. “The team is at the best place we’ve ever been,” said Dunklee. “It’s really cool to be a part of that.”

USA's Sara Studebaker © Nancie Battaglia

“Today was a really great day to make it (clean shooting) happen,” said Studebaker. “Seventh is our best finish ever, so to do that at the Olympics, that’s pretty good. To finish up this Olympic experience together with a solid result is fantastic.”

Another warm and windless day left the tracks soft and treacherous for the athletes, causing many crashes on the first leg. Italy’s Dorothea Wierer (ITA) came through in front for the first hand-off, but the hero of the second leg was Russia’s Gabriela Soukalova (CZE), who catapulted her team from 11th to second place behind the Ukrainians, followed by Norway in third.

On the third leg, Ukraine’s Valj Semerenko (UKR) held onto the lead, despite using three spare rounds in standing, while Russia took over second with Norway in third as the Czech team’s Jitka Landova needed five spare rounds and fell out of contention. Team Canada found themselves in fourth as Megan Heinicke shot clean trailing Semerenko by 46.9s.

Canada's Megan Heinicke © Nancie Battaglia

Coming into the start of the final leg, Ukraine led by 28.4s followed closely by Norway and Russia. Heinicke handed off to Kocher in fourth as the veteran biathlete, the only woman on the current national squad to win a World Cup medal claiming the bronze  in Oestersund, Sweden in 2006, began to make inroads with her fast skis. But poor shooting in the final standing stage saw the team drop back into eighth.

Canada's Zina Kocher (#7) on the shooting range © Nancie Battaglia

The battle for the final podium spots was epic as Olena Pidhrushna (UKR) was untouchable for the gold as both Olga Vilukhina (RUS) and Tora Berger (NOR) both needed a spare round in the head-to-head finale. But the order would not change as Vilukhina stayed ahead to claim the silver with Norway grabbing the bronze. The Czech Republic ended up in 4th.

Results here.