 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Estil, Danilova win cross-country titles
Posted: Saturday December 18, 1999 04:35 PM
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) -- Norway's Frode Estil recorded his first World Cup cross-country win on Saturday while Russian Olympic champion Olga Danilova posted her second victory in as many years in Davos. Estil completed the 30km classic-style race around the ritzy Swiss resort in a time of one hour 16 minutes 30.8 seconds, finishing a commanding 31.3 seconds clear of compatriot Espen Bjervig. "This success is a dream come true," said the 27-year-old Estil, whose best previous finish was a third last year in Lahti, Finland. Sweden's Niklas Jonsson was third, 32.7 seconds adrift while Johann Muehlegg, a German competing for Spain, followed up his surprising victory in Sappada, Italy, last weekend with fourth place. Thomas Alsgaard, winner of the 15km freestyle event at the Nagano Olympics, settled for fifth but it was enough to maintain the Norwegian's comfortable lead in the overall standings with 261 points, ahead of Bjervig with 213. In the women's 15km classic, Danilova, the Olympic gold medalist in the event, posted a winning time of 42:36.6, beating compatriot Larissa Lazutina by more than 11 seconds. Bente Martinsen of Norway took third, 20.1 seconds behind the winner, with Italy's Stefania Belmondo, a double gold medallist at last year's world championships, in fourth. Lazutina, a double Olympic gold medallist in Nagano and a quadruple gold medallist at the 1995 world championships, continues to hold a big lead in the overall rankings, 65 points clear of Martinsen, the defending World Cup champion.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
