Reigning mass start champion Niskanen savors 2022 gold more than 2014, 2018
The past two years have been some of the most turbulent times for Olympic cross-country skiers, including Finlandโs Iivo Niskanen. He savored his gold medal win from the 15km classic event more than his 2014 and 2018 medals after seeing the impact COVID-19 had on Olympic athletes.
ROC men win first Olympic gold in 4x10km relay since 1980
History was made on Sunday when the ROC menโs 4x10km relay team won Olympic gold with a time of 1:54:50.7. The team of Alexey Chervotkin, Alexander Bolshunov, Denis Spitsov and Sergey Ustiugov pushed the tempo to find a huge lead and kept the chase group comfortably around 50 seconds back at each exchange.
Johannes Klaebo and Alexander Bolshunovโs legendary cross-country rivalry
In a classic cat-mouse game, Norwayโs Johannes Klaebo would not have won six World Championship titles and three Olympic gold medals without one of his largest competitors Alexander Bolshunov of ROC right on his tail. Klaebo and Bolshunov met again a week after the skiathlon to compete for gold in the menโs 15km classic on Feb. 11 at 2:00 a.m. ET.