Olympic Cross Country Skiing

Sweden's Charlotte Kalla won the first gold medal of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Saturday, as a brilliant last-lap surge saw her to glory in the women's cross-country skiing.

In the 15-kilometre race, Kalla was able to catch the rest of the field sleeping on the fourth circuit on an uphill section, eventually coming home in a time of 40 minutes, 44.9 seconds.

She finished just under eight seconds ahead of Norway's Marit Bjoergen, who was chasing an 11th Olympic medal, while Finland's Krista Parmakoski took bronze.

The Olympics Twitter account confirmed the result:

Congratulations to Charotte Kalla #SWE, the first #gold medalist of #PyeongChang2018! 👏👏👏 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/7nhxHpAgOB

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 10, 2018

Here's a look at the live medals table from Pyeongchang:

              

Kalla Secures Opening Gold

All eyes were on Bjoergen in the early stages of the race, as she sought to make history with an 11th medal and seventh gold in the Winter Olympics.

After the opening lap the Norwegian battled into the leading group and found herself at the head of the field. As noted by the FasterSkier account, Bjoergen was beginning to look especially strong on the uphill sections:

Bjørgen takes the lead on the long climb away from the stadium early in Lap 2, with Kalla skiing up alongside her

— FasterSkier (@FasterSkier) February 10, 2018

Bjørgen pushing the pace, gets a little gap on a long downhill before a long climb at 6 k, where the group is back with her. She's followed by Kalla, Weng, Andersson, Switzerland's von Siebenthal, Østberg, Stadlober, Niskanen, and Diggins in 10th (+4.2)

— FasterSkier (@FasterSkier) February 10, 2018

In the classical section of the race, the veteran started to turn up the pressure on the rest of the field and the leading group was gradually whittled down.

At the halfway mark a change of skis were needed as the competitors geared up for the final freestyle 7.5-kilometre section.

It was Bjoergen who led them into the pit stop, although she still had some illustrious company in the form of compatriot Heidi Weng and Kalla.

On the third of four laps, there were a few tactical battles, with none of the leaders wanting to be at the head of the race quite yet.

It meant some competitors who had dropped off the back had a chance to get their way back into contention, with around eight racers in the hunt for the medals with a lap to go.

On the first climb of the final lap, it was Kalla who made what proved to be the decisive move. And the Swede caught the rest of the field sleeping, with a huge surge putting her 10 seconds ahead of the chasing pack.

Bjoergen was penned in and in no position to respond, allowing Kalla to race away from the rest of the field and get over the final climb unchallenged. As the Australia Team Twitter account noted, in the end she had time to celebrate her third Olympic title:

Sweden's Charlotte Kalla win's the first gold medal of #PyeongChang2018! pic.twitter.com/m1xeGEMqp1

— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) February 10, 2018

While Bjoergen would've been disappointed not to have gotten over the line in first position here,  the silver medal ensured Saturday was still a landmark day for her, as noted by BBC Sport:

Marit Bjoergen makes history.

She is now the most decorated female Winter Olympian of all time.

🥇6⃣
🥈4⃣
🥉1⃣

⛷👉 https://t.co/BnzCzGLZ2x #bbcolympics Pyeongchang2018 pic.twitter.com/BywCmF8xf4

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 10, 2018

With so many competitors in with a chance of victory on the last lap, timing the burst for the line was always going to be critical for the eventual champion. And Kalla, now at her third Olympics, showcased the experience and acumen of a champion.

Alexander Legkov led home a Russian clean sweep of medals in the men’s 50-kilometre mass start event on Sunday.

In the final and undoubtedly most gruelling skiing event of the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Legkov finished ahead of compatriots Maxim Vylegzhanin and Ilia Chernousov in a four-way sprint for the line along with Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway. They’ll receive their medals in front of a rapturous crowd at the closing ceremony later today.

Position	Name (Country)	Time	Behind
1.	Alexander Legkov (Russia)	1:46:55.2	0.0
2.	Maxim Vylegzhanin (Russia)	1:46.55.9	0.7
3.	Ilia Chernousov (Russia)	1:46:56.0	0.8
4.	Martin Johnsrud Sundby (Norway)	1:46:56.2	1.0
5.	Sergei Dolidovich (Belarus)	1:47:10.01	14.3

Rank	Country	Name	Time	Behind
1	RUS	Alexander Legkov	1:46:55.2	0.0
2	RUS	Maxim Vylegzhanin	1:46:55.9	+0.7
3	RUS	Ilia Chernousov	1:46:56.0	+0.8
4	NOR	Martin Johnsrud Sundby	1:46:56.2	+1.0
5	BLR	Sergei Dolidovich	1:47:09.5	+14.3
6	FRA	Robin Duvillard	1:47:10.1	+14.9
7	SWE	Anders Soedergren	1:47:13.0	+17.8
8	SWE	Daniel Richardsson	1:47:19.6	+24.4
9	SWE	Johan Olsson	1:47:27.3	+32.1
10	FIN	Iivo Niskanen	1:47:27.5	+32.3

RIA Novosti, via The Moscow Times, provided a statement from Legkov discussing the victory: "This is priceless. It's more valuable than my life, I can't express how I feel. For 15 years I've been trying for this result."

Before the race, Austrian skier Johannes Duerr was withdrawn from this event after he tested positive for EPO, per the Associated Press (via The Guardian).

The race began in typically tight fashion before Johan Olsson made something of a move at the 10-kilometre mark. The Swede loves to inject some early impetus into the race, and seemed to be doing so again here after a similar tactic helped him to the world title in Val di Fiemme last year.

But clearly wary of a repeat showing, he was marshalled closely by the chasing pack. Bursting through the 15-kilometre point with approximately 32 minutes on the clock, Olsson and Co. were setting a strong early pace and we were set for the quickest 50-km race in Olympic history.

Eventually, Olsson fell back into the pack and his compatriot Anders Soedergren went to the front, leading through 20 kilometres as the pace continued to quicken. He was closely followed by the United States’ Noah Hoffman, who was having an excellent race. Despite not being considered a serious contender for the title, the American looked to be in with a shout at the halfway stage:

Half way thru men's 50k XC race and Noah Hoffman still on front of pack. Sitting in 3rd and looks strong #Sochi2014

— MarthaBellisle (@marthabellisle) February 23, 2014

But the big favourites for the title were in close proximity of the front, and you suspected they were just biding their time. Passing through the 30-kilometre point, Segkov accelerated to the front and the Russian crowd went berserk. But he was just looking to change his skis, and many of the leaders followed suit:

Russia's Aleksandr Legkov makes 1st break away, but turns out he was increasing pace to change skis. A lot of guys did the same #XC

— Olivia Wittels (@owittels) February 23, 2014

That meant the leading group became a little disjointed, and typically it’s at this point in the race where some skiers might think about making a break for home.

Matti Heikkinen obliged, and made a hugely brave move with 16.5 kilometres remaining, putting together a lead of 22.7 seconds at its longest. But with an enormous chasing group containing some experienced and classy individuals, they began to rein in the Finn:

Brave from Heikkinen but the main group will get him soon #50km #crosscountry #Sochi2014

— Nils Sigurdsson (@Yes_IamSancho) February 23, 2014

By the time the field entered the final 10 kilometres, Heikkinen’s lead had been overhauled. The leading group was still substantial, and with the likes of Petter Northug, Vylegzhanin, Legkov and Switzerland's Dario Cologna all prominent, we were set for a very tight finish.

Knowing that he may not have the power to win a sprint finish, Soedergren sped back to the to the front in an attempt to win it early. But despite the blistering pace that the Swede himself helped to set throughout this race, he failed to drop any of the leading group, which was still 20 strong.

With just two kilometres to go, Cologna agonisingly snapped one of his skis to put him out of the reckoning. And with one of the favourites gone, Legkov pushed to the front and started to drop plenty of that final group powering up the steep incline into the finishing circuit.

He was followed closely by Vylegzhanin, but Legkov still looked assured and powerful at this late stage as he rounded the final corner. Legkov eventually saw it through ahead of his compatriot, whilst Chernousov timed his finishing run superbly to finish just ahead of Sundby in the bronze-medal position.

Such a dominant showing in this event, which is undoubtedly the blue ribbon discipline of all the cross-country skiing formats, can only mean good things for the sport in Russia. The teamwork, composure and grit showcased by all three of the medalists here suggests there is plenty being done right in the current set-up and this result will only serve to increase popularity in the sport.

It remains to be seen whether the 30-year-old Legkov will go on to defend his title at Pyeongchang in 2018. But the new Olympic champion is improving as he continues to accrue experience and the chance to become the first man ever to defend the 50-kilometre Olympic title will surely be an opportunity that'll inspire him on to bigger and better things.

After a wild day of action at the 2014 Winter Olympics, it was Team Finland’s Iivo Niskanen and Sami Jauhojaervi that won the gold medal in the men’s team sprint classical finals and Team Norway’s Marit Bjoergen and Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg that stole the show and first place on the women’s side.

Men's Recap

Finish	Team	Time
1	Finland	23:14.89
2	Russia	23:15.86
3	Sweden	23:30.01
4	Norway	23:33.55
5	Switzerland	23:35.90
6	United States	23:49.95
7	Germany	23:57.02
8	Kazakhstan	24:01.38
9	Czech Republic	24:01.83
10	France	DNF

Infostrada Sports talks about Finland’s victory in the men’s classification:

Staying with the men’s event, the Finnish winners were challenged by the Russian duo of Maxim Vylegzhanin and Nikita Kriukov. With the raucous crowd along and inside the Laura Cross-country Ski & Biathlon Center cheering on the home team, the Russians were able to win the silver medal, finishing under one second behind the eventual winners.

American men’s cross country star Erik Bjornsen spoke with Kevin Tresolini of the USA Today before Wednesday’s events about his success in the semifinals:

I saw the places in front of me and I figured if everything went great I could catch a few. I was able to catch two, which I was happy about, and maybe put in some time on that next group of people.

The Swedish pair of Emil Joensson and Teodor Peterson brought home the bronze, and Team USA’s Bjornsen and Simeon Hamilton were forced to settle for an eighth place finish.

Women's Recap

Finish	Team	Time
1	Norway	16:04.05
2	Finland	16:13.14
3	Sweden	16:23.82
4	Germany	16:24.97
5	Poland	16:35.54
6	Russia	16:44.91
7	Switzerland	16:45.47
8	United States	16:48.08
9	Austria	16:49.16
10	Slovenia	16:57.98

On the women’s side, the team sprint classical was a fierce battle that helped the event live up to expectations. While the Norwegians have struggled at times during these Winter Games, it was the pairing of Bjoergen and Flugstad Oestberg that took home the gold medal with an impressive time of 16:04.05.

Norway’s duo was second after the first round, but managed to sneak into first after Round 2 and never released their grip on the gold.

Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen and Nordic News shared just how dominant the Nordic portion of the globe was on Wednesday:

The Finnish team of Kerttu Niskanen and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen finished just under 10 second behind the Norwegian team and managed to take home the silver medal for Finland.

Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter and Stina Nilsson managed to win the bronze medal.

Team USA’s Kikkan Randall and Sophie Caldwell finished eighth with a time of 16:48.08.

The excitement surrounding the cross country events continues to grow with every passing medal round, but there are more events yet to come in the sport.

Not only is the ladies' 30-kilometer mass start free scheduled for Saturday—look for gold medalist Justyna Kowalczyk from Poland to contend for another podium finish—but the men’s 50-kilometer mass start free will also feature plenty of action on Sunday as the final event in cross country.

In the men’s event, look for gold medalist Dario Cologna from Switzerland and the Swedish pair of Johan Olsson and Daniel Richardsson to challenge the always strong Norwegians for medals in the 30-kilometer finale.

Updated Medal Standings

*All stats and information via NBCOlympics.com and Sochi2014.com.

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Norway was a heavy favorite to defend its gold medal in the 4x5-kilometer women's cross-country relay on Saturday, but the Norwegians could never quite get on track, opening the door for Sweden to take gold in the event for the first time since the 1960 Squaw Valley Games.

Sweden showed a great deal of heart and determination, as it needed a massive effort down the stretch in order to track down Finland and Germany. The Swedes were near the front of the pack for most of the race, and they ultimately seized the moment.

According to Kris Boswell of Radio Sweden, the victory gave Sweden its first gold medal of the Sochi Games and furthered its cross-country dominance:

Finland and Germany took silver and bronze, respectively, in what was one of the most competitive cross-country races Sochi has had to offer. The full rundown of how all 14 competing nations fared is as follows:

Rank	Country	Time	Behind
1	Sweden	53:02.7	0.0
2	Finland	53:03.2	+0.5
3	Germany	53:03.6	+0.9
4	France	53:47.7	+45.0
5	Norway	53:56.3	+53.6
6	Russia	54:06.3	+1:03.6
7	Poland	54:38.9	+1:36.2
8	Italy	55:19.9	+2:17.2
9	USA	55:33.4	+2:30.7
10	Czech Republic	56:29.8	+3:27.1
11	Slovenia	56:37.0	+3:34.3
12	Ukraine	56:56.1	+3:53.4
13	Austria	57:04.7	+4:02.0
14	Canada	59:13.6	+6:10.9

The 4x5-kilometer relay lasted just over 53 minutes all told, but it was jam-packed with action from start to finish. Here is a look at the biggest storylines that observers will be talking about for a long time to come.

Sweden Mounts Huge Comeback to Take Gold

It wasn't known until the closing seconds of the 4x5-kilometer relay that Sweden would top the podium, but the Swedes did well to keep themselves in it throughout. Sweden never finished a leg in any worse position than third place, and that ultimately allowed it to make a late move for gold.

Anna Haag was unable to hold a lead through two legs, and she left anchor Charlotte Kalla in a tough spot. The Swedes were in third place, 25.7 seconds behind Finland, when Kalla took the course, but she mounted a furious comeback that resulted in a three-skier battle for gold down the stretch.

Kalla left caution to the wind as she emptied the tank in order to catch the Finns and Germans. In some ways, the stubbornness of Krista Lahteenmaki and Denise Herrmann aided Kalla's comeback. Rather than working together, Lahteenmaki and Hermann battled each other for first place. That took its toll and opened the door for Kalla.

Kalla was able to close the gap in the final meters and make a spectacular pass on the inside, which CNN World Sports called one of the Olympics' best performances thus far:

Although it was a total team effort, Kalla was definitely the hero, and she will almost certainly receive a hero's welcome when she and her teammates return home.

Kikkan Randall and Team USA Struggle

American cross-country skiing star Kikkan Randall entered the 2014 Winter Olympics with huge expectations surrounding her. Entering Sochi, no American woman had ever won an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing, but the prevailing thought was that Randall was a virtual lock to take one and had a chance to nab a second if things broke her way.

Unfortunately, the 31-year-old native of Salt Lake City, Utah, will return to the United States without any hardware in tow. Randall was supposed to set a blistering pace for the American women in the 4x5-kilometer relay, and it initially looked as though she was going to do that. Randall quickly ran out of steam, however. By the time the first leg came to an end, she had put Team USA at a nearly 40-second disadvantage, according to Rachel Blount of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

For Randall, it was yet another disappointment at the Laura Cross-Country Ski & Biathlon Center. Although Team USA wasn't necessarily favored to nab a medal in the relay, they were supposed to be in the mix. Randall was supposed to reach the podium in the 1-kilometer sprint, though, and she failed to get out of her quarterfinal race.

Just like in the team relay, Randall seemingly ran out of gas down the stretch. Randall missed out on qualifying for the semifinals of the 1-kilometer sprint by five one-hundredths of a second, which had to be gut-wrenching. American teammate Jessie Diggins felt terrible for Randall after the near miss, according to Steve Politi of NJ.com.

"My heart broke a little bit," Diggins said. "Of course, I want to race well for me, but mostly, I was hoping for the best for her. I was hoping that she'd be able to fulfill her dreams."

Diggins was the anchor for Team USA in the relay, but the Americans were so far behind by the time she took the course that mounting a comeback was simply impossible. Randall will bear the burden of her poor performance for a long time, but the Americans simply weren't good enough as a whole.

The focus now shifts to Randall's future. She will be 35 by the time the 2018 Olympics come around, and it is difficult to imagine her getting much better.

Stamina was a huge problem for her in Sochi, and that is something she'll have to work on moving forward. Even if she does manage to grind it out for four more years, it seems likely that her best chance to medal has passed her by.

Finland Blows Big Lead, Salvages Silver

Although Finland has been a dominant cross-country nation for a very long time, the women's relay hasn't been a signature event for the Nordic country. Since winning gold in the first Olympic women's 4x5-kilometer relay way back in 1956, the Finns had been unable to capture anything better than silver. Finland won bronze in the event at the 2010 Vancouver Games and entered Sochi with gold medal aspirations, although it figured to face a tough test from chief rivals Norway, Sweden and Germany.

Finland was nearly 16 seconds behind lead dog Russia after the first leg, however, that deficit was quickly erased. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen made up almost the entire margin before making way for Kerttu Niskanen. The 25-year-old Niskanen opened up a big-time lead for the Finns, as Germany trailed by nearly six seconds heading into the final leg.

Lahteenmaki did everything she could to hold off the hard-charging Swedes and Germans late in the race, but she could not quite hang on to gold. According to Fox Sports News, Finland was a mere five-tenths of a second away from breaking a 58-year gold-medal drought in this event:

With that said, it was an improvement from the bronze that Finland won in Vancouver, and it was the third silver all-time for Finland in this race. The four women on the team will likely be left wondering what could have been, but they have nothing to hang their heads about.

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Crash Course: Kikkan Randall was under significant pressure to end the American drought in cross-country skiing. New Hampshire's Bill Koch won a silver medal in the discipline in 1976, and no American—male or female—has won since. Randall was the favorite to win the 1.2-kilometer sprint, but she fell short in the quarterfinals. She still has a chance to end the medal drought as part of the American 4 x 5,000 relay team Feb. 15. Randall, an Alaska native, can take comfort in her favorite vacation spot of Italy after the Olympics.

Athletic Profile: Randall, 31, is competing in her fourth Olympics. She had improved each time prior to Sochi, going from 44th in 2002, to ninth in 2006, to sixth in 2010. Randall simply ran out of gas in the final stages of the race as she led the event early, but three skiers passed her down the stretch. She missed advancing from the "lucky loser" category by seven-hundredths of a second. Randall became the first American woman to win a World Cup discipline by finishing on top in the sprint standings in 2012. She also won five World Cup events in 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4fnRrE-by8

Name Game: Randall's unusual first name is the result of a compromise between her parents. Her father wanted to name her after 1976 Olympic Alpine skier Christina "Kiki" Cutter, while her mother wanted to name her Megan. They combined the two and came up with Kikkan. Additionally, when Randall first started getting interested in athletics in middle school, she became enamored with the late former distance runner Steve Prefontaine. His philosophy was to leave everything on the track every time he competed, and he was often called an animal when he was on the track. Randall has tried to do the same thing, and that has earned her the nickname of "Kikkanimal."

Off the Course: When Randall's career comes to an end, look for her to get involved in sports marketing. Also, she has other talents besides cross-country skiing. She can ride a unicycle and even juggle while she's on it. Randall understands the benefits of combining training with a healthy diet, but she can't resist a maple-glazed donut.

Social Media: Randall has a Twitter account with more than 12,000 followers. Her Facebook page has received 14,000 likes, and her Instagram page has over 4,500 followers.

Quote: "Not only does every single girl on this team have Kikkan as her idol, but so does every little girl out there also. I can't put into words how much she has done for this sport."—U.S. cross-country skier Sophie Caldwell on Randall's importance to cross-country skiing (via USA Today).

For Kikkan Randall and the rest of Team USA, history at the 2014 Sochi Games will have to wait—if it's to be made at all.

In a crushing disappointment, Randall, 31, shockingly failed to make it out of the quarterfinals of the individual sprint, her strongest event, on Sunday at the Sochi Olympics.

Norwegians Maiken Caspersen Falla and Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg won gold and silver. Slovenia’s Vesna Fabjan took bronze.

With the top two finishers automatically advancing to the semifinals, Randall seemed assured to advance when she led coming into the stadium. First one, two, then three skiers passed her, including rival Marit Bjoergen, on the finish straightaway soon after entering the stadium. Randall finished fourth.

“I was feeling really good and was ready to come off that final turn and have a good finish stretch,” she told reporters later, saying her legs stiffened. “But that final gear just wasn’t quite there and unfortunately I fell apart a little bit right before the finish and didn’t get a good lunge in.”

Her time barely missed “lucky loser” status allotted to fill in the remaining slots in the next round. 

“Seven one hundredths of a second is an incredibly close margin,” Randall said, her voice tight with emotion. “I’m sure I will be reliving those moments hundreds of times in my head. But I was happy to be on my feet today, happy to be in the fight. I gave everything I had.”

It was an abrupt end to what was considered the best medal chance for Randall, skiing in her speciality and her fourth Games, to become the first American woman to win an Olympic cross-country medal. Until Randall came along, the U.S. had rarely seen success in the sport, generally dominated by Europeans and Scandinavian nations.

With Tuesday’s result, a 1976 silver medal in the 30 kilometer won by Vermont’s Bill Koch remains the lone Olympic medal won by an American in cross-country skiing.

Randall was supposed to change that, and Tuesday figured to be the time to do it. Making matters worse was the waste of a golden opportunity—race favorite Marit Bjoergen of Norway, Randall’s chief rival and skiathlon gold medalist earlier in the Games, was out of the competition after falling in the semifinals earlier in the day.

Instead of the veteran Randall, it was surprising U.S. team rookie Sophie Caldwell, 23, another Vermonter, who reached the Olympic finals. Caldwell finished sixth, last in the final, after falling midway through the 1.3-kilometer loop that takes less than three minutes to complete. Skiers race the loop several times in a day, from preliminaries to the knockout rounds, then the final.

"I'm not sure exactly what happened," Caldwell said to reporters. "We were coming around that corner on top and someone tried to come super on the inside right as I was stepping over to take the corner and we got kind of tangled."

Caldwell's finish was the best by a U.S. female cross-country skier in Olympic history.

Caldwell, skiing in pink-rimmed sunglasses—possibly in a nod to Randall, who dyes a pink swath in her hair—is in her first year on the U.S. national team. In the final, she appeared to lose her balance at the top of a descent, putting her well behind the leaders in an event where the slightest miscue can spell disaster.

Caldwell had been skiing strongly in fourth position for the first part of the lap. In the semifinal, she had shown impressive closing speed in the stadium, rallying to tie for first in the heat.

There is hope for the future at these Olympics, and beyond. On Saturday, Jessie Diggins and Liz Stephen were eighth and 12th, respectively, in the 15-km pursuit, the first time the U.S. placed two skiers in the top 15 of an Olympic race. Diggins and Ida Sargent also started Tuesday's sprint but did not make it out of the quarterfinals. 

But hope remains for Randall and the American team. As Erik Brady of USA Today pointed out, they still stand a chance in the 4X5-km relay on Saturday and the team sprint classic on Feb. 19. Brady called the races Randall's "life preserver."

“We’ve got two great team events coming up,” Randall said. “That’s making today a little bit easier for sure.”

If four-time Olympian Randall is not destined to make history as America’s first female Olympic cross-country medalist, Caldwell someday might be. Both her grandfather and uncle were Olympians, and Caldwell learned to ski at the same time she learned to walk.

Caldwell, who graduated from Dartmouth College just a year ago, is a promising talent who skied in her first World Cup events last year, with her top result 14th. She also qualified for the sprint final in the World Championships.

But on Tuesday, all eyes were on Randall, an upbeat Alaskan whose mission is to show Americans that cross-country skiing is hip—a tough sell to a culture more enamored with Alpine downhill speed than the grind of Nordic events. She was ninth in the 2006 Olympics, 44th in 2002 and eighth in Vancouver in 2010, in the sprint classic race.

The Olympics alternate skate and classic (diagonal stride) techniques, a fact Randall painfully noted in her missed opportunity.

“I’ve been thinking about this race for a long time,” Randall said.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It’s tough when you get one shot at these every eight years. Sprints especially are a little tough with strategy and everything that can happen.”

Nicknamed “Kikkanimal” for her legendary workouts and cardiovascular strength, Randall is the most accomplished cross-country skier in U.S. history, male or female. She has twice won the World Cup overall sprint title and won two world championship medals. She is a 19-time World Cup medalist.

But the one accomplishment that would garner the attention of the American public—an Olympic medal—remains elusive.

Meri-Jo Borzilleri covered four Olympic Games for the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Seattle Times.

The sprint portion of cross-country skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics has just concluded, with both men and women winning medals for their amazing efforts on Tuesday afternoon in Sochi.

Ola Vigen Hattestad claimed gold for Norwayon the men’s side, while Sweden’s Teodor Peterson and his teammate, Emil Joensson, earned silver and bronze—respectively.

Maiken Caspersen Fallawas able to edge the field and finish first out of the women, bringing Norway yet another gold medal. She was joined on the podium by fellow countrywoman Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg and Slovenia’s Vesna Fabjan, the respective winners of the silver and bronze medal.

Let’s recap how these competitors reached the podium and take a look at the complete standings for the men and women’s cross-country skiing finals at the 2014 Sochi Games.

Women’s Final Standings

Rank	Country	Name	Time	Difference
1	NOR	Maiken Caspersen FALLA	2:35.49	0.00
2	NOR	Ingvild Flugstad OESTBERG	2:35.87	+0.38
3	SLO	Vesna FABJAN	2:35.89	+0.40
4	NOR	Astrid Uhrenholdt JACOBSEN	2:37.31	+1.82
5	SWE	Ida INGEMARSDOTTER	2:42.04	+6.55
6	USA	Sophie CALDWELL	2:47.75	+12.26

Men’s Final Standings

Rank	Country	Name	Time	Difference
1	NOR	Ola Vigen HATTESTAD	3:38.39	0.00
2	SWE	Teodor PETERSON	3:39.61	+1.22
3	SWE	Emil JOENSSON	3:58.13	+19.74
4	NOR	Anders GLOEERSEN	4:02.05	+23.66
5	RUS	Sergey USTIUGOV	4:32.48	+54.09
6	SWE	Marcus HELLNER	5:24.31	+1:45.92

Women’s Recap

Norway dominated the women’s sprint final. Falla was clearly the best of the day and was well ahead of the remaining finalists as they barreled towards the finish line.

The 23-year-old finished with a blistering time of 2:35.49, which was .38 seconds faster than teammate Oestberg.

However, Oestberg should be proud of her second-place finish. She edged Fabjan at the last possible moment to steal silver and push the Slovakian to third-place.

Norway almost swept the podium, but Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen was unable to push herself into the running at the tail end of the competition.

As per SportsLiberated.com, Jacobsen’s brother unexpectedly died on Friday and it had to be emotionally tough for her to even compete in this race. It’s impressive that she not only made the finals, but also finished with an immensely respectable time of 2:37.31, just 1.82 seconds off the lead.

Sweden’s Ida Ingermarsdotter was a non-factor in the final race, coming in fifth with a time of 2:42.04.

The United States had a chance to win its first ever medal in women’s cross-country skiing, but it was not to be. Sophie Caldwell was right in the running at the beginning portion of the final sprint, but fell as she rounded a tight corner at the top of the course and was unable to recover.

Caldwell finished in sixth with a time of 2:47.75, over 12 seconds behind the winner.

Men’s Recap

Hattestad helped Norway complete a sweep of the gold medals available during the cross-country sprint events. The veteran was at his best in Sochi, improving greatly upon his fourth-place finish in this event four years ago during the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

The 31-year-old completed the brutal course with a time of 3:38.39, more than a second better than the second-place finisher.

That honor went to Peterson, who tried desperately at the finish line to make up for lost ground, with his time of 3:39.61. Despite that strong push down the stretch, the 25-year-old Swedish star was not able to overcome the gap that Hattestad had created earlier in the race.

Peterson’s countryman, the 28-year-old Joensson, was well behind but still managed to claim a coveted spot on the podium. He was 19.74 seconds off the lead and completed the grueling course after some mistakes with a time of 3:58.13.

Anders Gloeersen of Norway, Sergey Ustiugov of Russia and Marcus Hellner, one of the Swedish favorites, finished fourth, fifth and sixth—respectively.

Hellner missed out on a chance to claim his third Olympic gold medal after earning two in Vancouver.

America had no representation in the final, with Andrew Newell failing to qualify. The Team USA representative had spoke what he would need from his equipment before the race, telling Mattias Karen of The Associated Press:

It basically comes down to three things. The flex of the ski, the grind of the ski, the kind of structure that's pressed into the bottom of it, and then the wax.

Unfortunately, Newell’s equipment was not able to help him place in the men’s sprint.

Cross-country skiing is far from over at the 2014 Sochi Games. There are still a number of competitions on tap, including eight medal contests beginning on Thursday and running up through the final day of the Winter Olympics—February 23.

Many of the same stars involved in Tuesday’s sprints will be back in action for the upcoming events, including the men’s and ladies’ Classics, the team relays, team sprint and more.

These sprints were just a taste of the exciting medal competitions still to come, so make sure you tune in when they take place over the next few weeks.

Norway cross-country skiing star Marit Bjoergen captured the second overall gold medal of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia on Saturday in winning the ladies' skiathlon 7.5-kilometer classic and 7.5-kilometer free event.

Bjoergen was ahead of the pack with a time of 19:10.6 in the classic, but a slightly longer pit stop to change skis after the first 7.5 kilometer saw her lose the edge as Sweden's Charlotte Kalla took the lead for a span. However, Kalla settled for silver in trailing by 1.8 seconds, as Bjoergen's superiority shined through and she outraced her foe, registering 38:33.6 as her final time.

Here is a look at the top-10 finishers and their splits as the competition progressed:

Place	Competitor (Country)	Classic (Rank)	Pit (Rank)	Free (Rank)	Total Time (Min./Sec.)	Behind
1	Marit Bjoergen (Norway)	19:10.6 (1)	35.1 (T-26)	18:47.1 (1)	38:33.6	—
2	Charlotte Kalla (Sweden)	19:11.6 (3)	33.5 (4)	18:50.3 (2)	38:35.4	+1.8
3	Heidi Weng (Norway)	19:12.0 (4)	33.7 (T-5)	19:01.1 (4)	38:46.8	+13.2
4	Therese Johaug (Norway)	19:11.5 (2)	35.7 (T-31)	19:01.0 (3)	38:48.2	+14.6
5	Aino-Kaisa Saarinen (Finland)	19:12.4 (5)	34.2 (9)	19:02.3 (5)	38:48.9	+15.3
6	Justyna Kowalczyk (Poland)	19:12.9 (6)	39.6 (53)	19:37.2 (10)	39:29.7	+56.1
7	Kerttu Niskanen (Finland)	19:17.4 (7)	32.0 (1)	19:45.9 (14)	39:35.3	+1:01.7
8	Jessie Diggins (USA)	20:01.7 (27)	34.3 (T-10)	19:29.5 (8)	40:05.5	+1:31.9
9	Emma Wiken (Sweden)	19:48.5 (14)	33.8 (7)	19:44.9 (13)	40:07.2	+1:33.6
10	Masako Ishida (Japan)	19:24.4 (8)	34.3 (T-10)	20:09.6 (27)	40:08.3	+1:34.7

Another Norwegian in Heidi Weng finished a bit further back at 38:46.8, but it was good enough to beat out her compatriot in Therese Johaug for bronze.

It was an emotional victory for Bjoergen and a heavy-hearted trip to the podium for Weng, as the brother of their teammate Astrid Jacobsen passed away suddenly on Friday, per the Associated Press' Mattias Karen:

Considering the track record Bjoergen has in winning five medals and three golds in the 2010 Vancouver Games, it makes sense that she rose to the challenge and fulfilled her fate as the favorite.

NBCOlympicTalk.com editor Nick Zaccardi noted how this could be the first of six golds for Bjoergen, which would be unprecedented.

With this triumph, Bjoergen has already joined elite company in her Winter Games career, moving to a tie for sixth all time as a four-time gold medalist, per Olympstats.com's Bill Mallon.

Karen noted how the "Iron Lady" Bjoergen expressed she would have been pleased with just one more gold this time around in Sochi, but it appears her work is far from done if Saturday's display was any indication:

The top American finisher was Jessie Diggins, who placed eighth and roared to the finish in the freestyle after being in 27th entering the pit stop. A convoluted pileup of sorts occurred as the skiers pitted, causing Fox Sports' Jay Clemons to weigh in on the volatility the changeover presents:

Diggins discussed what made her successful in the trying test of endurance, per NBCSports.com's Chris Estrada:

Normally in pursuit races, I fall so far behind in the classic [portion] that I take myself out for the race because I’m a strong [free] skater...But today, I…had a great plan from the coaches and fantastic skis, and I was able to hang on in the classic part. Then in the skate – just systematically work and ramp it up, picking people off one by one. Luckily, at the end, I had just enough energy for a strong finish.

USA competitor Elizabeth Stephens also had a solid effort in placing 12th, pitting the second fastest in the field—a necessary swiftness since she was 31st in the classic.

But what will be remembered from this event is the strong, inspiring performance Norway put forth in taking the early medal count advantage, placing three skiers in the top four and seeing Bjoergen's dominance continue.

It will be interesting to monitor just how much hardware Bjoergen can bring back home to her native Norway and where she will stack up in history among Winter Olympians. She's already held in high regard, but the 33-year-old veteran has the experience and athleticism to become even more prolific.

Note: Results and information are courtesy of Sochi2014.com unless otherwise stated.