Finland’s Niskanen classic ski Olympic champion in 15K race

By: Martha Bellisle, The Associated Press Posted: 3:42 AM CST Friday, Feb. 11, 2022

ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Iivo Niskanen of Finland won gold in the 15-kilometer cross country race at the Beijing Olympics on Friday to maintain his dominance in classic skiing.

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ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Iivo Niskanen of Finland won gold in the 15-kilometer cross country race at the Beijing Olympics on Friday to maintain his dominance in classic skiing.

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ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Iivo Niskanen of Finland won gold in the 15-kilometer cross country race at the Beijing Olympics on Friday to maintain his dominance in classic skiing.

Niskanen crossed the line and collapsed, spread eagle, with a time of 37 minutes, 54.8 seconds. It was his third Olympic gold. He won the 50km classic race in Pyeongchang and the classic team sprint at the 2014 Sochi Games.

Alexander Bolshunov of Russia came in 23.2 seconds back to earn silver, while Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway secured the bronze 37.5 seconds behind the Finn.

Iivo Niskanen, of Finland, celebrates after finishing the men's 15km classic cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Three Canadians were in the top-40.

Olivier Leveille of Sherbrooke, Que., was 29th, finishing nearly three minutes after Niskanen. Remi Drolet of Rossland, B.C., was 33rd, while Antoine Cyr of Gatineau, Que., came in 37th.

Both Bolshunov and Klaebo have won gold medals at the Beijing Olympics — Bolshunov in the skiathlon and Klaebo in the sprint.

Niskanen had a 28.8-second lead over Bolshunov at the 10.5-kilometer mark and was 52.5 seconds faster than Klaebo at that point in the race, and he held it to the finish.

Niskanen’s sister, Kerttu, won the silver medal Thursday in the women’s 10-kilometer classic race, finishing just .4 seconds behind Theresa Johaug of Norway.

Niskanen and Bolshunov had led the classic ski portion of the skiathlon, the opening cross-country race of the Beijing Olympics, but Bolshunov and Denis Spitzov skied away from Niskanen when the race switched to freestyle skiing. Spitzov took the silver and Niskanen bronze.

Bolshunov won four medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games but the skiathlon was his first Olympic gold.

Dario Cologna of Switzerland was aiming for his fourth consecutive Olympic title in the men’s 15km classic race but finished 44th, 3:45.1 behind Niskanen.

This year’s Olympic 15-kilometer (9.3-mile) cross-country race was in the classic ski style and covered two laps of the 7.5-kilometer course. The race alternates between classic and freestyle every Olympic cycle.

Cologna won the 15km freestyle race in Pyeongchang. Simen Hegstad Krueger, who won silver, is not in China due to COVID-19. Russian skier Denis Spitsov, who won silver in the Beijing skialthon, won bronze in the Pyeongchang 15km.

Cologna also was the 15km classic ski champion in Sochi in 2014. Johan Olsson and Daniel Rickardsson of Sweden won silver and bronze. Cologna also won in 2010.

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