The Norwegian ladies reclaimed their spot on the top of the podium today, winning the relay by over 30 seconds. Sweden took second and Finland was third. The American women took ninth place. Team Norway consisted of the same line-up that took Olympic gold in Vancouver last year, and their win was no surprise. That fact didn't make the spectators any less excited to see Bjørgen come down the finish stretch first, proudly waving the Norwegian flag.
How does the relay work? Each leg is 5K. In this "mixed" relay, the first two racers ski classic technique, and the final two competitors skate.
A friend of mine had an extra ticket for the Men's Ski Jumping (Large Hill), and graciously invited me to join her! I had never seen a ski jump event before, and both of us were a little foggy on the specifics of the sport, but that didn't stop us from appreciating just how incredible these athletes were. Our conclusion about the sport: It must take a lot of guts and physical strength, and you sure don't want to crash. According to my Wikipedia research, scores are not only awarded by distance jumped but also factor in wind conditions and style points. Aerodynamics, athlete weight and specialized technique has a lot to do with jump success, but my knowledge stops there. (If you know a good source for information about ski jumping, leave a comment!)
The fog continued to hang over Holmenkollen and it was so thick when we first arrived that we couldn't even see the hill! Eventually, we were able to make out the red line at the base of the jump, then the OSLO written in the center, and finally the jumpers themselves. The fog rolled in and out and we made sure to see every athlete we could while the clouds were away. For most of the event, we had no idea who was jumping or what constituted a "good" jump, but it was fun to be part of the action and watch the flying competitors do their thing! Austrian skier Gregor Schlierenzaur won the event, and fellow countryman Thomas Morgenstern was second. The bronze medal went to Simon Ammann from Switzerland. Peter Frenette, the lone American, finished in 35th place.
Additional Links:
Full Results: 4x5K Women's Relay
Full Results: Men's Ski Jumping
Recap of Day Seven: Team Sprint
FasterSkier's article about the U.S. Women's relay
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