There always something to be said for saving the best for last. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen -- plagued by poor shooting through most of his Olympics (save for one silver medal) -- finally broke through for his first gold medal of these Games and the sixth of his career. With 11 Olympic medals total, Bjoerndalen remains the most-decorated biathlete and was vital to his latest win in the 4x7.5km relay as the anchor leg of Norway's team.

Let's hear it for the moms. Russia's women's relay boasted three mothers and credited that statistic for its victory in the 4x6km success. Russian relay anchor Olga Zaitseva: ""I would recommend ... don't be afraid, go ahead and have babies -- and get better in sports." Given that Russia won the event by more than 30 seconds, it seems flawed to argue with their logic in the matter.

Magdalena Neuner isn't your average two-time Olympic champion. An avid blogger about knitting and a harp player, the German biathlete claimed her second title with near-clean shooting and her usual strong skiing. Following her victory in the mass start, though, Neuner claimed to be feeling a sense of burnout with everything she had earned -- hinting toward her eventual withdrawal from the team event. While the women saw plenty of success from familiar names, the men's mass start podium had three first-time medalists with Evgeny Ustyugov of Russia leading the way for gold.

While its men's cross-country team and its legend in Ole Einar Bjoerndalen struggled, Norway's Nordic program found the Olympic moment it was looking for in Tora Berger. The biathlete claimed Norway's 100th Winter Olympic gold medal with her win in the women's 15km; just a few hours later, the "red" wave swept over Whistler's Olympic Park again as Berger's compatriots Emil Hegle Svendsen and Bjoerndalen claimed gold and a tie for silver, respectively.

She may have been Germany's and biathlon's best-kept secret going into the Games, but Magdalena Neuner became known world-wide with her gold medal in the women's pursuit. The six-time world champion added the Olympic title to her silver won in the sprint and immediately became one of the Games' most-recognizable faces. In the men's pursuit, Bjoern Ferry won his first gold while Vincent Jay earned his second medal with a bronze.

American Tim Burke called it the most unfair course he had ever dealt with. A mid-race snow storm buried more than half the field of the men's sprint in slush, creating an issue for many favorites, including five-time Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. Vincent Jay of France was able to escape the weather with the gold medal while favorite Emil Hegle Svendsen took silver for Norway. Jeremy Teela of the U.S. set an American-best ninth-place finish.

Weather conditions provided some interesting results in the first biathlon competition of the Winter Games. Marie Dorin of France won the bronze medal despite not being considered a favorite. Anastazia Kuzmina, ranked 28th in the world going into the event, not only surprised with the gold medal but won the first Winter Olympic title in Slovakia's history. The only favorite to live up to expectations was Germany's Magdalena Neuner who won silver.