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Frantic finish Norway wins cross country 40K team relayPosted: Sunday February 17, 2002 1:44 PMUpdated: Sunday February 17, 2002 3:06 PM
MIDWAY, Utah (AP) -- 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 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 competed in four races 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. "This was very exciting," said the 30-year-old Alsgaard, a two-time individual Olympic champion. "In relays, it's not always the fastest skier who wins. It's all about tactics." Alsgaard and Zorzi stopped about a kilometer before the stadium as neither skier wanted to set the pace. Then Zorzi charged ahead, but Alsgaard eventually proved his tactical savvy, fencing off the Italian challenge. "When we stopped, it just became silly. After that, I went for it," said Alsgaard. Zorzi said victory was feasible for his team. "I thought first place was possible. I'm not happy. I wanted to give my team a win." The Norwegians covered the Soldier Hollow course in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 45.5 seconds. Zorzi finished three-tenths of a second behind Alsgaard. Anders Aukland, Frode Estil and Skjeldal picked their Norwegian teammate up on their shoulders in celebration. 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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