Russians take Olympic gold in women’s cross-country relay

By MARTHA BELLISLE
Associated Press

ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — The Russian team started strong and finished strong in the women’s four-person relay and won another Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing. Yulia Stupak broke away early with nine women chasing. The Germans briefly took the lead on the last lap with Russian skier Veronika Stepanova just behind Sofie Krehl. But Stepanova pulled away on the final climb and won in 53 minutes, 41 seconds. Germany took silver. Sweden edged Finland for bronze. The four-person relay began as a mass-start with 18 racers. Each woman skied two laps on a 2.5-kilometer course. The first two skiers raced in the classic style and the last two in freestyle.