Norwegians 'sweat' way to cross country wins

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) -- More than 100,000 spectators on Sunday watched Norway sweep both the men and women's team freestyle sprint event at the first World Cup of the year for cross-country skiing.

Marti Bjorgen, last year's sprint champion, and Hilde Pedersen completed the women's final in 10 minutes 4.2 seconds, with the German team of Manuela Henkel and Evi Sachenbacher 4.8 seconds behind.

Tor Arne Hetland pulled away at the finish from five other skiers as he and Haavard Berkeli took the men's race in 18:56.5.

"The crowd was almost too noisy, but it was great and the weather perfect," Hetland said.

Most competitors struggled in the unseasonal heat, with 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) recorded on the track of artificial snow set up downtown along the Rhine River in this north German city.

"I sweated nonstop in my suit," Sachenbacher said.

Some spectators were clad only in short-sleeved shirts and even a handful of competitors raced wearing shorts.

This was the third year the cross country opener has been held in Duesseldorf, moving the sport out of the mountains, and each year the event has recorded more than 100,000 spectators a day.

"The city sprints are a magnet for people -- this is the biggest ski event in the world -- we had great snow and great conditions," said Juerg Capol, FIS' race director for cross-country skiing.

Spectators were also drawn by the booths selling everything from food to trinkets along the 800-meter track, which was set down in a popular shopping district.

In the men's event, Germans Tobias Angerer and Axel Teichmann finished 2.4 seconds behind the Norwegians. Their countrymen, Toni Lang and Andreas Stitzl, were third and trailed by 2.9 seconds.

The Italian team of Arianna Follis and Gabriella Paruzzi were third in the women's event, 7.5 seconds back.