Winter Olympics: Norway claims two golds to top medals table

Norway claimed two more golds on Wednesday to lead the medals table at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

In a thrilling seesaw battle, Norway beat South Korea to win the men's team pursuit title in speed skating in a time of 3 minutes 37.32 seconds, reports Xinhua news agency.

Norway are now leading the medals table with 13 golds.

Earlier, Norway's Martin Sundby and Johannes Klaebo won the cross-country skiing men's team sprint free gold.

"This has been an amazing drive from the whole Norwegian Olympic team, I think for the last couple of weeks. I think we inspire each other. At least, I get inspired from watching other athletes succeed and do well," Sundby said of Norway's performance at the Games.

"We live quite close in camp also with the biathletes and I think we have had the most fantastic last 14 days with a lot of energy.

"Everybody wants to show the other guys that they also can take some medals and this day has been nerve-wracking for me, for sure it's been the worst day ever. But we have been able to finish off with a gold medal and that's fantastic," Sundby added.

In Alpine skiing, Italy's Sofia Goggia claimed the gold medal in women's downhill. American skiing great Lindsey Vonn, gold medallist of the event at Vancouver 2010, won bronze in her final Olympic downhill race.

Goggia clocked a competition-best time of 1:39.22, becoming the first Italian winner of the women's downhill event.

"I still haven't quite realized yet. I think I'll realize when I'm on the podium. I'm very proud. I feel so focused on the day that I haven't realized yet what I've done. It's about me and my skiing and not the others," the Italian said.

Vonn, who withdrew from Sochi 2014 due to injuries, displayed a below-par performance in PyeongChang. After finishing sixth in super-G, she trailed Goggia by almost half a second to take the downhill bronze.

The 33-year-old Vonn still managed to break the record for the oldest female medallist in Alpine skiing at the Winter Games, previously set by Michaela Dorfmeister at 32 years and 332 days when she won the women's super-G in 2006.

Elsewhere, Brady Leman became the first Canadian to win a medal in the freestyle skiing men's ski cross after bagging the gold in style.

It was the fifth gold medal for Canada in men's freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympic Games, more than any other National Olympic Committee.

There was also victory for the United States' Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggins who won the cross-country skiing women's team sprint free title.

In figure skating women's singles, Russian Alina Zagitova edged two-time world champion and compatriot Evgenia Medvedva to top the short programme rankings with 82.92 points.

Medvedva scored 81.61 points, followed by Canadian Kaetlyn Osmond with 78.87.

--IANS

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