America

Cross-Country: Norway's Haga Wins Gold in Women's 10km

USA's Jessica Diggins finished in fifth place and now has three top-six finishes at the Olympic Games

Ragnhild Haga jumped in the air and did a split near the finish line.

She had plenty of reason to celebrate.

The 27-year-old Norwegian didn't just beat the field in the women's cross-country 10-kilometer freestyle on Thursday, she dusted them in the race of a lifetime to earn her first medal in her first Olympics.

Haga finished in 25 minutes, 00.5 seconds, winning the race by more than 20 seconds over the power-packed field that included silver medalist Charlotte Kalla of Sweden. Norwegian teammate Marit Bjoergen and Krista Parmakoski of Finland finished tied for third to earn bronze medals.

The 37-year-old Bjoergen inched closer to making Winter Olympics history. She is now one medal shy of the matching the all-time record of 13, held by Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. Bjoergen became the most decorated female in Winter Olympics history last week when she took silver in the 15-kilometer skiathlon.

Jessica Diggins of the United States finished in fifth place, less than four seconds out of medal contention. Hoping to become the first American woman to win a medal in cross-country skiing, Diggins now has three top-six finishes at the Olympics.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us