Switzerland's Cologna Demolishes Rivals in Cross-Country Skiing

By RIA Novosti

Feb. 14, 2014

KRASNAYA POLYANA — Switzerland's Dario Cologna claimed his second gold medal of the Sochi Olympics on Friday with a breathtaking victory in the men's cross-country skiing 15 kilometer classic.

Cologna won by a crushing margin of 28.5 seconds over Sweden's Johan Olsson to add the gold medal to his skiathlon victory Saturday and 2010 win in the Vancouver 15 kilometer freestyle.

Another Swede, Daniel Richardsson, stole the bronze medal from under the nose of Iivo Niskanen, shaving 0.2 seconds off the Finn's time.

Cologna's success in Sochi is all the more dramatic as the Swiss star missed most of the season so far with an ankle injury, only returning to competition last month.

Friday's race at the Laura ski resort saw skiers competing in very light clothing for the second day in a row, some wearing only T-shirts, amid a heat wave in the mountains above Sochi.

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