July 31, 2010
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Dahlie feat hard to matchNAGANO, Japan (AP) -- Norwegian cross-country skier Bjorn Dahlie won two gold medals in Nagano, giving him a record eight gold medals in his three Winter Olympics.Alpine skier Deborah Compagnoni of Italy and luger Georg Hackl of Germany are among those who left Nagano having won a gold medal for the third straight Olympics. But those feats were accomplished in a six-year span -- Albertville in 1992, Lillehammer in '94 and now Nagano. Winning in three straight games will become more difficult because the Olympics are back in their every-four-year cycle. Tchepalova completes sweepHAKUBA, Japan (AP) -- Russia completed a sweep of the five women's cross-country races when Yulia Tchepalova won the 30-kilometer freestyle, ending Italy's bid for a third straight gold in the event.Stefania Belmondo, winner at Albertville in 1992, led for three-quarters of the race, held in steady rain on the Snow Harp course, and looked ready to continue the streak that teammate Manuela Di Centa extended in Lillehammer four years ago. Who follows Dahlie, Alsgaard?HAKUBA, Japan (AP) -- Bjorn Dahlie, Thomas Alsgaard. Two familiar Norwegian names from the cross-country races at Lillehammer, back at Nagano collecting more Olympic gold medals.And the Norwegian men's team appears in good shape to carry the momentum through to the 2002 Olympics. Russians rebels prove team leaders wrongHAKUBA, Japan (AP) -- The stars of the Russian women's cross country ski team were practically gloating after winning medals in the 30-kilometer race. Not at their vanquished rivals, but at their team leaders.Yulia Tchepalova and Larissa Lazutina accounted for more than half of Russia's haul of individual medals in the Nagano Olympics, and helped their team sweep all five individual gold medals. MORE HEADLINES Archive of Olympic Cross Country Stories |