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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Olympic report

From Wire Reports

Norway’s Bjoergen bjorn to win

Marit Bjoergen won her sixth career gold medal by leading a Norwegian sweep in the women’s 30-kilometer cross-country race. Bjoergen is now the most decorated female Winter Olympian in history with 10 total medals and six gold, including three in Sochi and three from Vancouver. Therese Johaug took silver and Kristin Stoermer Steira won bronze.

Double Dutch wins in speedskating

The Dutch men’s team of Sven Kramer, Jan Blokhuijsen and Koen Verweij set an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 37.71 seconds in speedskating team pursuit. The Netherlands also held the old record of 3:39.95, set in Vancouver four years ago. South Korea took the silver and Poland the bronze. In the women’s race, the Netherlands trio of Ireen Wust, Marrit Leenstra and Jorien ter Mors also set an Olympic record of 2:58.05. Poland took silver and Russia bronze. Wust now has won five medals in Sochi, more than any other athlete – two golds and three silvers. The two wins gave the Dutch eight gold medals out of 12 events, and 23 total in the sport.

Austria’s Mario Matt won the men’s slalom to become the oldest Alpine champion in Olympic history. Matt, who turns 35 in April, surpassed now-retired Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt as the oldest skier to win an Alpine race.

Host nation claims first biathlon gold

Russia won the 4x7.5-kilometer men’s biathlon relay when anchor Anton Shipulin beat Germany’s Simon Schempp on the final lap to give the host nation its first biathlon gold of the Sochi Games. Defending champion Norway led for most of the race but dropped to fourth after anchor Emil Hegle Svendsen missed three targets in his final shooting. Germany won silver and Austria bronze.

Wild tames parallel slaloms

Vic Wild of Russia captured his second gold by winning the Olympic debut of men’s parallel slalom snowboarding. The American-born Wild won gold in parallel giant slalom earlier this week. Zan Kosir of Slovenia took silver and Benjamin Karl of Austria won bronze. In the women’s parallel slalom, Julia Dujmovits of Austria edged Anke Karstens of Germany at the finish. Amelie Kober of Germany won bronze.

Finland ices U.S. for hockey bronze

Six-time Olympian Teemu Selanne scored two goals to help Finland rout the U.S. 5-0 to claim the bronze medal in men’s hockey. Finland has won four medals in the last five Olympics. Canada and Sweden face off today for the gold.

Two more athletes test positive

Latvian hockey player Vitalijs Pavlovs and a Ukrainian cross-country skier Marina Lisogor both failed drug tests at the Sochi Olympics, bringing the number of doping cases at the games to four. The International Olympic Committee said that Pavlovs, who tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine; and Lisogor, who tested positive for trimetazidine, were both expelled from the games.