Russians hold off Norway and France for Olympic relay gold
By MARTHA BELLISLE
Associated Press
ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — The Russian team opened a lead on the first leg of the men’s cross-country skiing relay and then held on for the Olympic gold medal. Sergey Ustiugov maintained more than a minute lead on the last lap over the two-man chasing group of Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway and Maurice Manificat of France. Ustiugov grabbed a flag on his way to the finish line and won the 10-kilometer relay 1 hour, 54 minutes, 50.7 seconds. Klaebo pulled away from Manificat for the silver. France took third. Snowy conditions made the ski tracks slow. Leaf-blowers were used to clear the snow out of the ski tracks.