The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) cross-country skiing team earned gold in the men’s 4 x 10km relay at the Beijing Games

Russian cross-country skiing enjoyed a second gold medal triumph in as many days at the Beijing Games as the men’s 4 x 10km relay team stormed to victory ahead of Norway and France.

After the ROC women’s relay team topped the podium in the 4 x 5km event on Saturday, their countrymen ensured they matched them with a stirring performance in snowy conditions at the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Skiing Center on Sunday.

The gold medal is the ROC’s fourth of the Beijing Games, as relay team member Alexander Bolshunov bagged his second Olympic title after winning the skiathlon crown one week ago. 

Alexey Chervotkin, Denis Spitsov, and Sergey Ustiugov made up the Russian quartet who finished in a time of 1:54:50.7 – more than one minute clear of Norway in second and France in third.

The victory is the first time a Russian or Soviet team has won the 4 x 10km relay event in 42 years, with the last title coming at the 1980 Games in Lake Placid.

The ROC team also goes one better than the silver medals they earned in PyeongChang four years ago and in Sochi in 2014.  

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Source: RT