Lithuanian Biathletes Stick to an Unpleasant Label at the Olympics - The Worst Among Teams Finishing the Relay
The Lithuanian team finished significantly behind the leaders in the Olympic biathlon relay, marking a disappointing performance.
The Lithuanian biathlon team faced a tough challenge during the Olympic relay event, finishing 7 minutes and 13 seconds behind the French team, who won the race. The Lithuanian athletes struggled with their shooting accuracy, missing 16 targets and having to complete an additional two penalty loops. Although this performance places them at the bottom among teams that completed the relay, a small consolation was that they managed to avoid disqualification, which had marred their previous Olympic outing in 2018.
Vytautas Strolia led the team as the first racer, followed by Nikita Čigakas and then Judita Traubaitė, with the anchor leg run by Lidija Žurauskaitė. Strolia, participating in his fourth Olympics, had a relatively steady shooting performance, missing just one target in the prone position, though he did require an additional round. After completing his segment, the team was positioned 18th overall, trailing by nine seconds. However, the final shooting stage proved challenging for him, requiring all three extra rounds to hit the remaining targets, resulting in a significant time deficit.
Ultimately, the team secured a 17th place finish, which, while disappointing, signifies an ongoing effort at the Olympic level for Lithuanian biathletes. The pressure to improve and enhance their shooting accuracy remains a focus for future competitions, as this performance reflects both the challenges faced in elite sports and the specific hurdles experienced by the Lithuanian biathlon team in a highly competitive environment.