Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Swede wins Games’ 1st gold, but runner-up hits milestone
In the first medal event of the Winter Olympics, Charlotte Kalla of Sweden won the women’s 15-kilometer skiathlon by more than seven seconds Saturday in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
For Kalla, it was her sixth career Olympic medal — and third gold.
Marit Bjoergen took silver but made Olympic history by becoming the most decorated female Winter Olympian ever. The Norwegian won her 11th career medal to break a tie with Raisa Smetanina of Russia and Stefania Belmondo of Italy.
Jessica Diggins of Minnesota placed fifth, missing a chance to become the first American woman to earn a medal in cross-country skiing. Diggins was third in the World Cup standings coming into the race.
Kalla pulled away during the last half of the race in a dominant finish.
“It feels very good to be ahead of Marit,” Kalla said. “She’s a fantastic skier.”
Bjoergen, 37, raised her arms as she crossed the finish line, knowing she had reached the career milestone.
“I have been very good for many years,” Bjoergen said. “But I’m also getting older, and the younger girls are getting better.”
Bjoergen, who will participate in the women’s sprint Tuesday, said this will be her final Olympics but isn’t sure how many other races she will ski in Pyeongchang.
Norway tied Russia for the most medals of all time in women’s cross-country skiing with 37.
Lim Hyo-jun earned host country South Korea its first gold by winning the men’s 1,500-meter short-track speedskating event.
Lim pushed past Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands, finishing in an Olympicrecord time of 2 minutes, 10.485 seconds.
Knegt won silver while bronze went to Semen Elistratov, who was the first Russian medalist of the Games.
The Netherlands got off to a great start on the speedskating oval with a sweep of the medals in the women’s 3,000-meter race.
Carlijn Achtereekte surprisingly beat two-time champion Ireen Wust. Antoinette de Jong finished third for the bronze.
“It is incredible to have three of the girls on the podium,” said Achtereekte, an early starter who watched the rest of the competition with her father, Gerard.
“I sat with my dad and he was totally crazy. I needed to calm my father more than I had to calm myself.”
The Netherlands won 23 of 36 speedskating medals in Sochi four years ago.
Laura Dahlmeier wasn’t just good. She was perfect.
The 24-year-old German fought bitterly cold conditions and hit all 10 targets to win her first biathlon gold medal in the women’s 7.5-kilometer sprint.
Dahlmeier had won five of six possible medals at last year’s world championships. Coincidentally, the one event she didn’t win was this one.
Marte Olsbu of Norway won silver and Veronika Vitkova of the Czech Republic earned bronze.
Andreas Wellinger of Germany won the men’s normal hill ski jumping gold despite frigid temperatures and whipping wind.
Johann Andre Forfang took silver ahead of Norwegian teammate Robert Johansson.