Finland Beats Russia to Cross-Country Team Sprint Gold

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia, February 19 (R-Sport) – Finland beat Russia to cross-country skiing team sprint gold at the Sochi Olympics on Wednesday as a controversial crash denied Germany a medal.

Final-leg skier Sami Jauhojaervi held off Russia’s Nikita Kriukov on the final stretch to win by 0.97 seconds, with bronze for Sweden, 15 seconds off the pace.

Finland’s gold follows silver for the country’s women’s sprint team earlier in the day.

The Germans had been on for gold until a crash at the final corner when Tim Tscharnke ran wide as touched skis with Jauhojaervi as he tried to return to the inside of the track.

The German fell, nearly knocking over Russia’s Kriukov, and eventually trailed in seventh.