For the first time in Olympic history, the United States managed to pull off an upset at the Alpensia Cross Country Centre Wednesday night. The team of Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall was stride for stride against Norway and Sweden in the final lap to come to the finish with a gold medal in the women’s team sprint. Sweden took the silver and Norway the bronze in the event’s fourth appearance in the Winter Olympics. The United States ended a 42-year drought of winning a medal in any cross-country skiing event.
The Scandinavians won this event four years ago with Norway taking the gold in the two-man event. Marit Bjoergen returned to lead her team with half of Sweden back with Charlotte Kalla in tie this year. With two sets of three laps spanning 1.25 kilometers, it would be up to who could set the pace and stay in front to make the tag on the first switch.
At the end of the first lap, it was Norway and the OAR in first with Sweden, the United States and France in the top four. France was in fifth by less than a couple of seconds when they came for the switch. The pack remained together to come back with Finland taking over fourth and the U.S. in third alone.
At the halfway point the leaders continued to hold together with Switzerland back in the hunt and Team USA leading the fourth lap. When they came in, the gaps on the OAR left Norway Sweden and the Americans up more than ten seconds at the fourth exchange. A broken pole took the Russians out of it with the gap becoming way too much. Switzerland took over fourth but was still ten seconds down of the leaders who stayed close together on the last switch. Team USA put on a very good battle with the Norwegian’s and the Swedes.
The hill saw them battling for position with Norway up first with Sweden and the U.S. right there in second. The downhill was huge as they came in side by side until Sweden blasted ahead until the Americans were stride for stride where Diggins finished ahead by .19 seconds for the gold medal.
It was the first time that the US had won a gold medal in the history of the Winter Games. It would inspire the future of American cross-country skiing to keep the streak alive in four years. Bill Koch was the last American to win a cross country event back in 1976 at Innsbruck winning silver in the men's 30km.
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