Nordic Skiing

[Gold]Vladimir Smirnov, Kazakhstan
[Silver]Mika Myllyla, Finland
[Bronze]Erling Jevne, Norway
U.S. A long way to go for sprinter Nash, but he should still climb into the top 30.

50K FREESTYLE
February 22

[Gold]Pietro Filler Cottrer, Italy
[Silver]Bj�rn Daehlie, Norway
[Bronze]Alexei Prokurorov, Russia
U.S. Since an enlarged liver knocked him out of the 1994 trials, John Bauer has been pointing to Nagano; top 40 would be swell.

4 x 10K RELAY-MIXED STYLE
February 10

[Gold] Norway
[Silver] Italy
[Bronze] Finland
U.S. Better than most: The Americans are in the top half among the 20 entrants.

WOMEN'S CROSS-COUNTRY

5K CLASSICAL STYLE
February 10

[Gold]Elena Vaelbe, Russia
[Silver]Stefania Belmondo, Italy
[Bronze]Larissa Lazhutina, Russia
U.S. Vermonter Kerrin Petty, who trains in Mora, Sweden, is back after a virus sidelined her in '97; she could make the top 25.

10K PURSUIT FREESTYLE
February 12

[Gold]Elena Vaelbe, Russia
[Silver]Katerina Neumannova, Czech Republic
[Bronze]Stefania Belmondo, Italy
U.S. Minneapolis teacher Suzanne King, who started racing after graduating from Dartmouth in '86, should make the grade in the top 30.