Women’s Relay 6th, Best Result Since 2022
Share:
by Sara Donatello
The U.S. women’s relay team left everything on the course in today’s 4x6km relay at World Cup 4 in Oberhof, GER. Battling frigid temperatures and tricky winds, the squad delivered a composed and determined performance, using just nine spare rounds total and posting the eighth-fastest ski time of the day to finish +2:56.9 behind the winning French team.
France’s quartet of Lou Jeanmonnot, Oceane Michelon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, and Julia Simon claimed the victory, followed by Norway in second and host nation Germany rounding out the podium in front of a home crowd.
Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program) set the tone in the opening leg, skiing with the group into the first shooting. After using three spares in prone, she responded with a clean standing stage. A strong final lap propelled Irwin into the first exchange in sixth, keeping Team USA firmly in the mix.
Luci Anderson (Golden Valley, MN/Team Birkie) carried that momentum into leg two, skiing confidently into her first prone shooting in fifth. Amid shifting winds, Anderson stayed calm, using just one spare before heading back out on course in ninth. Her fast skis and another solid standing performance, again needing only one spare, moved the U.S. back up to sixth at the second exchange.
Joanne Reid (Grand Junction, CO/Colorado Biathlon Club) took over neck and neck with Germany. Maintaining a strong pace on skis and precision on the range, Reid used just one spare in prone and one in standing, delivering quick shooting to keep the U.S. in sixth tagging off to the anchor leg.
Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project) anchored with poise to secure the team’s best relay result since 2022. After cleaning her prone stage, Freed headed out in fifth and skied up to fourth before standing. Two spares in standing sent her back out on course in seventh, just eight seconds behind Slovenia’s Manca Caserman. Digging deep on the final lap, Freed closed the gap and surged ahead at the line, crossing two seconds in front and into the arms of her teammates and staff at the finish.
The strong showing moves the U.S. women up to 14th in the Nations Cup standings, necessary moves as they look to reclaim the fourth start spot lost after finishing 19th on the points list last season.
One final day of racing remains in Oberhof to close out World Cup 4. The U.S. men’s 4x7.5km relay gets underway at 5:00 ET/11:00 CET, followed by Anderson, Freed, and Irwin racing the women’s 10km pursuit at 8:30 ET / 14:30 CET. Racing can be watched live on Eurovision Sports.
