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A20 SPORTS
Monday 26 February 2018
Bjoergen dominates in last Olympic race, wins 5th medal

By STEVE REED between a fourth place
AP Sports Writer and a bronze medal at the
PYEONGCHANG, South Ko- Olympics so it means a lot
rea (AP) — Marit Bjoergen to me.”
has left a legacy that will Bjoergen had no such
be hard to top. problem, despite skiing
In her final Olympic race, alone most of the race. She
the most decorated ath- picked up the Norwegian
lete in the history of the flag on the home stretch
Winter Games obliterated and waved it as she slowly
the field, winning the 30-ki- cruised to the finish line.
lometer mass start cross- Bjoergen reiterated there
country ski race by 1 min- is no chance she will par-
ute, 49 seconds over silver ticipate in the 2022 Beijing
medalist Krista Parmakoski Olympics, but plans to finish
of Finland. out the World Cup season
The 37-year-old Norwegian and make a decision on
was never challenged Sun- how long to continue rac-
day en route to her eighth ing once that is complete.
career gold medal and “It’s hard to know now. I
15th overall since she be- only have the focus on this
gan competing at the 2002 year,” Bjoergen said. “But
Salt Lake City Games. of course it’s been incred-
“When I look behind me Marit Bjoergen, of Norway, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women’s 30k cross- ible for me to have five
and see what I have done, country skiing competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sunday, Olympics and 15 medals
it’s incredible,” said Bjo- Feb. 25, 2018. like that, it’s hard to under-
ergen, who broke down Associated Press stand actually. I think I need
in tears at one point after about 2 kilometers in and medal contention. Stadlober finished ninth. some moments by myself
the race. “It has been an continued to stretch it. Stadlober said she later Stina Nilsson of Sweden and see what I’ve done
amazing career for me, this With 7 kilometers remain- made another navigation- said she didn’t know where and look behind me.”
is my last Olympics and to ing she was so far ahead al error. Stadlober had gone and She felt like she had a good
finish like this is incredible.” of the rest of the field that “I don’t know what hap- said she was shocked to chance to win the 30-ki-
Bjoergen won five med- second-place skier Teresa pened to me, I took the learn when she crossed the lometer mass start after
als at the Pyeongchang Stadlober couldn’t see her, wrong way,” Stadlober finish line that she had won dominating the event over
Games, more than any and took a wrong turn on said with an embarrassed the bronze medal. the last seven years. Since
other athlete. the course, heading right laugh. “And I did it twice. I “I didn’t know what had 2012, she had won eight of
She never left a doubt instead of left. By the time don’t know why I took the happened to Stadlober, so the last 12 major races in
about the outcome of Sun- the Austrian corrected her wrong way. I’m sad that it I figured I was fighting for the event in the World Cup,
day’s race. course, she had fallen to happened today because fourth place,” Nilsson said. world championships and
Bjoergen took the lead eighth place and out of I had a really good day.” “It is a huge difference the 2014 Sochi Games.q

Russians Continued from Page 18

bronze in 1932 and 1976. of the 31 NHL teams. goal with 0.5 seconds left
“We all thought we would Oddsmakers made the Rus- in the first period, but Ger-
be sitting at home watch- sians the favorite, and they many got a good bounce
ing that final on the couch showed it after an opening on a fluky tying goal by Felix
at home, but here we are,” loss to Slovakia, getting bet- Schultz midway through the
Germany coach Marco ter as the tournament went second. That set the stage
Sturm said. “The boys are on, which was a complete for a wild third period.
going to bring silver home, reversal from Sochi. Russia’s Nikita Gusev scored
and they should be very “It means a lot,” said Kov- when his shot bounced in
proud.” Beating Germany, alchuk, who was voted off the helmet of Danny aus
which stunned eventual tournament MVP. “This was den Birken, but Dominik Ka-
Marcel Goc (57), of Germany, and Danny aus den Birken (33) bronze-medalist Canada my dream from when I was hun answered 10 seconds
embrace after losing the men’s gold medal hockey game to reach the final , gave 5 years old when I started later. And when Jonas Mull-
against the Olympic athletes from Russia, 4-3, in overtime at the the Russians their first gold to play.” The skill primar- er slid the puck past Russian
2018 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, in Gangneung, medal in hockey since 1992 ily from the Kontinental goaltender Vasily Koshech-
South Korea. in Albertville when they Hockey League was on kin with 3:16 left and then
Associated Press competed as the Commu- full display with the gold Russia took a high-sticking
Winning this gold medal dream.” nity of Independent States. medal at stake — and the penalty, it appeared like a
at his fifth Olympics meant The dream Russia couldn’t This one was expected all Russians needed it against major upset was on tap.
more to 39-year-old cap- reach with NHL stars finally along. disciplined, opportunistic Instead, with Koshechkin
tain Pavel Datsyuk than the happened with Kaprizov Stocked with former NHL Germany, which had all of pulled for the extra attack-
two times he lifted the Stan- scoring the winner on the players — Datsyuk, Voynov, its players from leagues in er to make it 5-on-5, Gusev
ley Cup. power play 9:40 into over- Ilya Kovalchuk, Mikhail Gri- its homeland. scored again to help send
“When you play for your time as Patrick Reimer sat in gorenko and Nikita Nester- Voynov, at the Olympics the game to overtime. A
country and I win this the penalty box for a high- ov — the Russians were by because he was banned penalty on Reimer gave
medal, this special time it’s sticking infraction. far the most talented team from the NHL in 2015 for a Russia a power play and
more important,” Datsyuk A silver medal gave Ger- in the tournament. U.S. domestic abuse convic- Kaprizov scored one of the
said. “I have accomplished many its best finish at the coach Tony Granato said tion, scored what could’ve biggest goals in Russian
my dream. Now I have no Olympics after capturing they may be as good as 20 been a back-breaking hockey history. q