Swedish Biathlon Team Blames Poor Ski Waxing for Olympic Disappointment

Sweden's biathlon team suffered their worst Olympic performance in the men's mass start event, with athletes finishing far from medal contention. The team blamed faulty ski waxing that made their equipment perform poorly in the race conditions.

ANTERSELVA, ITALY – Sweden’s biathlon squad reached their breaking point Friday after another disappointing Winter Olympics showing, pointing fingers at their ski preparation crew following a disastrous men’s mass start competition.

The Swedish team, typically considered medal contenders in biathlon competitions, endured a crushing final men’s race at the Games. Sebastian Samuelsson crossed the finish line in 18th place, while Martin Ponsiluoma landed in 21st and Jesper Nelin finished 26th out of the 30 competitors.

“The skis were the worst I ever had. They were crap,” Samuelsson angrily declared to Swedish television following the competition. “Today the glide from the skis was very bad … I’m here to fight for medals, but today I go without.”

Proper ski waxing represents a crucial aspect of competition preparation for both biathletes and cross-country racers. When technicians select the correct wax mixture for specific snow conditions, temperature, and elevation, athletes can glide effortlessly around the course. However, an incorrect choice can make skiing feel like moving through thick syrup.

Wax selection varies based on whether snow conditions are wet or dry. While many wax types perform best in sub-freezing temperatures, they can become soft and sticky when temperatures climb unexpectedly before or during competition, significantly hampering athlete performance.

Norway’s waxing crew demonstrated perfect preparation as Johannes Dale Skjevdal captured gold after hitting all 20 targets for the first time in his career, while teammate Sturla Holm Laegreid earned silver. France continued their streak of excellent ski preparation, with Quentin Fillon Maillet claiming bronze.

Swedish celebrations were nowhere to be found, as their waxing technicians approached the athletes at the finish area to immediately offer apologies for their error in judgment.

Despite their disappointment, the three Swedish competitors showed understanding toward their support staff.

“You just have to laugh at it,” Ponsiluoma remarked with dry humor.

“When you feel like you don’t have the materials, you feel it would have taken 25 hits to beat Dale-Skjevdal today.”

Since only 20 shooting targets were available, Ponsiluoma’s mathematical frustration highlighted the equipment disadvantage. Meanwhile, Nelin’s 26th-place result, though far from his expectations, at least spared him from a peculiar final sprint to avoid finishing last.

“This kind of thing (with waxing) happens to all nations at some point and we have a very good waxing team, it’s just not going well right now,” Nelin explained.