Russian hat-trick in the 50 km of Sochi, gold Alexander Legkov

Nordic Skiing: All news

Sochi 2014: All news

Russia, cross-country skiing had not yet won a gold, gets a sensational hat-trick in the 50 km free technique: gold Alexander Legkov, Maxim Vylegzhanin silver, bronze in Ilia Chernousov.

Sunday 23 February 2014 8 minutes reading time

What until ten years ago was the best race of the cross country, reflects the soporific script imposed by the FIS since he decided to turn it into mass start. Nothing happens for the first 48 miles, if such an unrealistic attempt to Matti Heikkinen, left alone at the thirtieth kilometer following the change of slopes of all the other big names, but resumed after about twenty minutes of agony. The race comes alive after one hour and forty, when Dario Cologna breaks saying goodbye to a ski medals, two kilometers from the finish Legkov attacks, he brings with him his countrymen Vylegzhanin and Chernousov and Norwegian Sundby. There is no story in the sprint, with strong Legkov a few feet of the edge and a much better condition that brings home the first gold medal for Russia in cross-country skiing at the Olympics in Sochi. The silver goes to Vylegzhanin, author of a best split over Chernousov, however, delighted the bronze medal that gives Russia a historic treble. Wood for Martin Johnsrud Sundby, who can not break the monologue Russian, confirming the difficulties of Norway male to these Games. Extraordinary fifth place for forty Sergei Dolidovich always great protagonist of the long distance races, a sixth Robin Duvillard which confirms the good show in relay, seventh, eighth and ninth of the three Swedes tip, Anders SÃ¶dergren, Daniel Richardsson and Johan Olsson, closes the top ten Iivo Niskanen, more and more in the running to become a champion in the future complete. The historic hat-trick Russian will make the fans happy but not the leaders of the federation, should read Elena Vaelbe. The gold and bronze in fact end up with two "rebels", who train in Switzerland for some time and are at loggerheads with the former champion now president of the federation of cross country skiing. For all three guys on the podium is the first individual Olympic medal of his career, the second for Legkov after'' won silver in the relay seven days ago and the third for Vylegzhanin (all silver), to which must be added that the team sprint . It makes you wonder what they could do these two guys if they were inexplicably excluded from the quartet's 15 km classic technique. The sweep off is the first in the history of Russia in the men's cross-country skiing, while the women had failed three times in the Soviet Union. In general, it is the tenth triplet cross-country skiing at the Olympics, and even the second in a row after that obtained from Norway yesterday. Here is the list of triplets in the history of the Olympic cross-country skiing. FEMALE FIELD OSLO 1952 - FINLAND 10 km (gold Lydia Wideman, Mirja Hietamies silver, bronze Siiri Rantanen) SQUAW VALLEY 1960 - SOVIET UNION 10 km (Mary Gusakova gold, silver Lyubov Baranova, bronze Radia EROSJINA) INNSBRUCK 1964 - SOVIET UNION 10 km (Claudia Boyarskikh gold, silver Eudokia MEKSHILO, bronze Mary Gusakova) CALGARY 1988 - SOVIET UNION 20 km (Tamara Tikhonova gold, silver Anfisa REZTSOVA, bronze Raisa Smetanina) SOCHI 2014 - NORWAY TL 30 km mass start (gold Marit Bjoergen, Therese JOHAUG silver, bronze Kristin Stormer Steira) FIELD MEN CHAMONIX 1924 - NORWAY 50 km (gold Thorleif Haug, Thoralf STÃ˜MSTAD silver, bronze Johan GRÃ˜TTUMSBRÃ…TEN) ST.MORITZ 1928 - NORWAY 18 km (Johan GRÃ˜TTUMSBRÃ…TEN gold, silver Ole Hegge, Reidar bronze ODERGÃ…RD) ST.MORITZ 1928 - SWEDEN 50 km 50 km (Per Erik Hedlund gold, silver Gustaf Jonsson, bronze Volger ANDERSSON) ALBERTVILLE, 1992 - NORWAY 50 km CT (Vegard Ulvang gold, silver BjÃ¶rn Dae HLIE, bronze Terje Langli) SOCHI 2014 - RUSSIA TL 50 km mass start (Alexander Legkov gold, silver Maxim Vylegzhanin, bronze Ilia Chernousov) It should also be noted that, thanks to the three medals won in this race, Russia has been awarded the medal arithmetically Sochi 2014, with both the European-criterion (the player who collects the most gold medals, then more silvers, bronzes finally more ) and with that plan (the player who wins the most medals regardless of the metal). Good race of the three Italians, always in the leading group before giving something when the game goes live. In the end the best is the most generous Roland Clara, eleventh after rolling for some time in the first half of the race. Well even David Hofer sixteenth and the young Francesco De Fabiani twenty-fifth in what was his first in 50 km career. 50KM MASS START TL MALE SOCHI 2014 - THE PODIUM GOLD Legkov Alexander (RUS) 1:46:55.2 SILVER Vylegzhanin Maxim (RUS) +0.7 BRONZE Chernousov Ilia (RUS) +0.8 The complete ranking

Jacopo Barbieri

Social media engagement