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Thursday, February 12, 1998 Published at 03:40 GMT

Sport: Winter Olympics 98: Cross Country Skiing

Norwegian makes Winter Olympic history
image: [ Bjorn Dahlie on his way to make Winter Olympic history ]

Bjorn Dahlie on his way to make Winter Olympic history

Bjorn Daehlie has become the first man ever to get six gold medals at the Winter Olympics by winning the 10-kilometer cross-country race.

Skiing in steady rain at the Snow Harp course, Daehlie crossed the finish line in 27 minutes 24.5 seconds while Austria's Markus Gandler, eight seconds slower, won the silver.

Finland's Mika Myllylae, winner of the 30K race on Monday, collected the bronze in 27:40.1.

Daehlie had a disaster in the 30k race on Monday, finishing in 20th after putting the wrong wax on his skis.

However he got it right this time and led from the start. By the first checkpoint at 1.8 kilometers he was 6.3 seconds faster than the closest challenger in the 97-strong field and he never let that lead slip.

Daehlie's triumph adds to the three golds he won at Albertville in 1992 and the two he collected at Lillehammer four years ago.

He has another three races at these games to surpass the six golds won by Lidya Skoblikova in speed skating from 1960-64 and Lyubov Yegorova in Nordic skiing in 1992-94. If he achieves that he will be the greatest Winter Olympian of all time.

His Olympic medals tally is:

Gold: 1992 15km, 50km, relay, 1994 10km, 15km, 1998 10km.
Silver: 1992 30km, 1994 30km, 1994 relay

Gold medal leaders in Winter Olympic history:

6 Lydia Skoblikova, Soviet Union, speedskating, 1960-64
6 Lyubov Egorova, Unified Team-Russia, nordic skiing, 1992-94
6 Bjorn Daehlie, Norway, nordic skiing, 1992-98
5 A. Clas Thunberg, Finland, speedskating, 1924-28
5 Eric Heiden, United States, speedskating, 1980

His nine Olympic medals equal the performance of Sweden's Sixten Jernberg, who won four gold, three silver and two bronze medals from 1956-64.

And he can surpass Raisa Smetanina's 10 medals, won from 1976-92, in his three remaining races, the 15km, 50km and relay.

He has also won 11 world championship titles and three silver medals.

The 30 year old Norwegian has established himself as the finest ever nordic skier.

His success began at the 1991 world championships, where he won the 15km freestyle, and he has long since surpassed the 30 World Cup wins of legendary Swede Gunde Svan, winning a staggering 37 World Cup races.

He says the secret of his enduring success is simple; pure, hard work: "When I was young, what marked me out from other youngsters was that I wanted to train and train and train, come summer or winter," he said. "Alone, at night, in the rain, whatever the conditions."

However, as a boy he preferred his sledge to skis.


	Relevant Stories 12 Feb 98 \| Sport Kenyan finishes last, but wins respect 09 Feb 98 \| Sport Finn takes gold in 30km cross-country



	Internet Links Official Nagano Olympic site Cross Country Ski World The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.



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	In this section Chepalova completes Russian clean-sweep Russians win gold, silver in women's 10 km pursuit Finn takes gold in 30km cross-country First gold to Russia

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