Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Marit Bjoergen makes history with fourth gold

Becomes most successful Norwegian female Olympian.

SOCHI:

Norwegian superstar Marit Bjoergen on Saturday won her fourth Olympic title and became the most successful female Norwegian Olympian in history, after taking the first cross-country skiing gold of the Sochi Games in the women’s skiathlon.

Bjoergen won the second gold up for grabs anywhere at Sochi 2014 with a vintage display of the killer supremacy that strikes fears into her opponents.

Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla screamed with delight as she crossed the line to take silver. Heidi Weng of Norway took the bronze, her first ever Olympic medal.

Bjoergen now has a total of four Olympic golds after winning three golds at the Vancouver Games in 2010 and has confirmed her status as one of the greatest cross-country skiers ever.

Her fourth gold means she has now overtaken the legendary Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie in Norway’s all-time list for female Olympians.

Bjoergen, who said previously her aim was to win one gold medal in Sochi, commented that her early success would allow her to enjoy the Games.

“One gold was my goal, so now I can relax a little bit,” she said. “I can enjoy the rest of the Games.”

After the dominance of her performance in the skiathlon, Bjoergen may now want to reassess her target of just one gold medal.

Kotsenburg leads home band of brothers

Sage Kotsenburg of the United States claimed the first gold medal on Saturday in men’s slope style and hailed his fellow snowboarders for their band of brothers’ mentality.

Kotsenburg said he would have been just as happy had either silver medallist Staale Sandbech of Norway or Canada’s bronze medallist Mark McMorris finished on top of the podium.

“All of us were having a blast in there and you could see us high-fiving at the bottom,” he said.

“It’s not like we’re bummed out when other people come down and land a ride, we’re equally as stoked for the next person to land a ride.

“I grew up with Mark and Staale; I’ve known them for the past six years. We’ve all become really good friends.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2014.

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