Ukrainian biathlete Alexandra Merkushina suffered a fall during her leg of the mixed relay at the 2026 Olympics. The debutante of the Winter Games was entrusted with the final stage in the mixed doubles, but after a good start, the 21-year-old athlete did not understand how she ended up on her stomach and lost precious seconds. But later she was able to make up a little bit and finish eighth.

In the highlands of Antholz, Alexandra fell on the first lap when she was behind the experienced Austrian Lisa Therese Gauser.

“Everything was very good for me - both the shooting and the start, I think, was good before the fall. Then I flew a little, as they say, like a pike. I was a little scared, but I had to quickly get up and get back into the fight,” Merkushina Jr. admitted to “Suspilny.”.

“I stood behind the Austrian, and I just honestly don’t know how it happened. At one point I just open my eyes and realize that I’m already flying through the snow on my stomach.. And she’s like: what happened I still don't understand how I fell. But so far I don’t even have a clue how this happened,” noted Alexandra.

In general, the Ukrainian was more or less pleased with her performance, because the track and conditions in Antholz are very treacherous.

“If we talk about my condition, I felt normal, I knew that it was very easy to catch what we call a blackout here. When you run, run, run, and then your vision gets dark, and that’s it, you can’t run any further.. So I approached this race with caution.. Still, I saved my energy for the finishing lap, so I laid it out little by little and kept a tactical distance from my opponents,” noted Merkushina.

The men's individual race is planned next in the biathlon program of the 2026 Olympics. It will take place on Tuesday, February 10, at 14:30 Kyiv time.