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Cross country skiing: Norway edges Italy again for men's relay gold
By Mark Long
Associated Press
MIDWAY, Utah — Norway won the gold medal in the men's 40-kilometer cross-country relay Sunday, edging Italy and capturing the event for the third time in the last four Olympics.
The Italians won the silver for the third time in four Winter Games and Germany got the bronze.
The United States took fifth — its highest showing in the event — behind John Bauer, Kris Freeman, Justin Wadsworth and Carl Swenson.
The Norwegians won without Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who has won three gold medals in the biathlon but was passed over for one of the four legs of competition because he had already raced more than 46 miles at these games.
It almost cost them the race.
Kristen Skjeldal, chosen in place of Bjoerndalen, surrendered a 23-second lead over Italy in the third leg. That forced a frantic finish.
Italy's Cristian Zorzi, possibly the best sprinter in the world, passed Thomas Alsgaard as they entered the arena. But Alsgaard, who said a day earlier that he couldn't beat the Italian in a sprint, went back in front and pulled away in the final 100 meters.
His teammates — Anders Aukland, Frode Estil and Skjeldal — picked him up on their shoulders in celebration.
The Norwegians covered the Soldier Hollow course in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 45.5 seconds. Zorzi finished three-tenths of a second behind Alsgaard.
It was the third consecutive Olympics in which Norway and Italy decided the men's relay by less than a ski tip.
Italy's Sylvio Fauner edged the great Bjorn Daehlie of Norway by four-tenths of a second in 1994, then Alsgaard needed a last-second lunge to nip Fauner by two-tenths of a second four years later.
Norway, the reigning world relay champion, also beat Italy for the gold in 1992. Skjeldal was part of that team. Alsgaard got the silver in 1994 and the gold in 1998.
Sweden, which had won eight medals in this event and never finished lower than sixth since it began at the 1936 games, was well off the pace in 13th.
The Swedes raced without their top cross-country skier, Per Elofsson. He has been sick and withdrew from the competition Friday. Urban Lindgren replaced him in the lineup and struggled to 13th in the opening leg.
The relay was a freestyle event in 1988. But since 1992, two skiers from each team use the classic technique and two use the skate technique.
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February 17, 2002
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