KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) - Marit Bjoergen has had to wait a full week for another Olympic medal, which is nearly an eternity by her standards at the games.
The wait should definitely end Saturday, and anything but a gold in the women’s 4x5-kilometer relay for Norway’s cross-country team would be a major shock.
The four women on Norway’s team - Bjoergen, Therese Johaug, Heidi Weng and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen - occupy the top four spots in the overall World Cup standings, making them one of the heaviest favorites of the entire Sochi Olympics.
If the first three skiers can avoid a serious fall or mishap, Bjoergen should be able to enjoy a similar anchor leg to the one she skied at the Vancouver Games. Back then, Norway won by nearly 25 seconds despite Bjoergen slowing down inside the stadium to grab a Norwegian flag and wave it as she went down the final straight, before crossing the line with a two-footed jump.
Since Vancouver, the Norwegian women are undefeated in the 10 relays held at the World Cup and in world championships. Expect more of the same on Saturday, which would help put Bjoergen back on the right track again.
The Norwegian was the most successful athlete at the Vancouver Olympics with three golds, one silver and a bronze, and started the Sochi Games with a victory in the 15-kilometer skiathlon. However, she then failed to reach the final of the freestyle sprint, and only finished a surprising fifth in the 10K classical race on Thursday. She said after that race that she “collapsed” toward the end. There should be little chance of that in the relay, even if the spring-like warmth continues in Krasnaya Polyana.
That leaves the other countries fighting for silver and bronze, with Sweden, Finland, Germany and Russia the main contenders for the consolation prizes.
Charlotte Kalla already has two silver medals in Sochi and will be anchoring Sweden’s team, while Krista Lahteenmaki is skiing the last leg for Finland.
The American team shouldn’t be counted out, either. While sprint specialist Kikkan Randall failed in her quest for a medal in favored sprint event, she and her teammates have the ability to keep up over the 5K distance if everyone has a good day. Anchor Jessica Diggins also has a fearsome sprint, which makes the team an outside candidate for a medal.
The gold, though, should be reserved for Norway.
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