Sunday 23 February 2014

Sochi 2014: Alexander Legkov wins 50km cross-country gold

Russia's Alexander Legkov wins gold in men's 50km mass start


 Alexander Legkov led home a Russian clean sweep in the men's 50km cross-country race to ensure the host nation finished top of the Sochi medal table.
Legkov, 30, won gold by only 0.7 seconds - the second narrowest margin ever in an Olympic 50km race - to edge Maxim Vylegzhanin into silver.
Their compatriot Ilia Chernousov took the bronze, while Britain's Andrew Musgrave crossed the line in 53rd.
Victory gave Russia 12 gold medals, ensuring they finish above Norway.
The hosts later picked up a 13th gold in the men's four-man bobsleigh.
Norway did not feature in that event, nor in the final event where a gold medal is still available - the men's ice hockey final - while third-placed Canada were also too far adrift.
There will then be a closing ceremony from 16:00 GMT to celebrate the last 16 days of action.
It's been a successful Games for Great Britain. Four medals gained from curling, skeleton and snowboard slopestyle represents the country's best performance since the Chamonix Olympics of 1924 - and is a sign perhaps that their funding strategy is yielding results.
The build-up to the Games was overshadowed by concerns over the threat of a terrorist attack and the impact of protests against Russian anti-gay legislation.
But International Olympics Committee president Thomas Bach has hailed the Games as "great", saying Sochi had risen above those concerns and delivered an impressive Olympics.
"These were excellent Games that may lead to the reversal of some criticism" of the Russian organisers that preceded the Olympics, he said.
Legkov's success on Sunday was his second medal of the Games after he won silver in the men's 4x10km relay.
"This is priceless," said Legkov. "It's more valuable than my life, I can't express how I feel. For 15 years I've been trying for this result."
Britain's Musgrave added: "I didn't feel so great. I am little bit ill, I had a bit of a fever last night.
"But I thought I may as well race. It is the Olympics and it comes around once every four years and it might have gone well."
Earlier, Austria's Johannes Duerr, a contender in the 50km cross-country, was suspended after failing a drugs test.

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