After the fifth shooting France, Norway and Italy were all within touching distance of each other.

But the quartet of Karoline Knotten, Ragnhild Femsteinevik, triple Beijing 2022 gold medallist Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold found the way to win, coming home 15.3sec ahead of their nearest challengers, Germany, in 1hr 08min 17.3sec.

Tandrevold’s perfect shooting highlighted her anchor leg that secured the Norwegian women their win.

The Norwegian team used six spare rounds in a win set up by Olsbu Roeiseland's outstanding leg to put them in the lead.

Italy took bronze on +33.5 ahead of Switzerland, at +36.3.

Tandrevold was happy to bring her team to the top of the podium in front of a packed house in the Chiemgau Arena after third and fifth places, respectively in Kontiolahti and Hochfilzen.

"I am so happy after third place in Kontiolahti and now on top of the podium is amazing," she told IBU.

On her glide to the finishing line, Tandrevold, who has won three world titles in this event, grabbed at and missed a Norwegian flag held out by a supporter, but that did not take away from the joy of victory which she marked with a little skip.

"I knew also that my mum and my dad, they were in the stadium today, so I could almost hear their joy, too!" 

Tomorrow's programme in Ruhpolding will begin with the men's 15km mass start, followed by the women's 12.5km mass start.