The Russian team of Svetlana Sleptsova...

The defending Olympic champions and reigning world champions finished in 1 hour, 9 minutes, 36.3 seconds, easily beating the French quartet of Marie Laure Brunet, Sylvie Becaert, Marie Dorin and Sandrine Bailly, who finished 32.8 seconds behind.

Without its star athlete Magdalena Neuner, the German team of Kati Wilhelm, Simone Hauswald, Martina Beck and Henkel finished +37.1 seconds behind the leader and took the bronze.

Slepstova said she was "a bit shocked" after she missed no shots during the first leg, but came to the first exchange 22 seconds behind the leader, France.

"I did my best, but I was too slow during the final lap," she told the Russia TV channel.

Bogaliy-Titovets missed two shots, but caught up with the German and French teams during the second leg.

Medvedtseva almost guaranteed the Russian victory during the third leg as she came to the final exchange with a 45-second lead. France"s Dorin missed five of her eight shots, skied two

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