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The course looks great, with a beautiful view of the mountains. Also, what about Cologna? Really didn't expect him to contend coming back from injury. Second Olympics in a row where he wins the opening Cross Country event.

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Happy with the women's prologue. Very impressed by Astrid Jacobsen who lost her brother on the opening day of the olympics. She's through to the quarters.

Kikkan Randall..., didn't look that sharp. She's quite big and the conditions are probably favouring the endurance skiers.., in other words Bjørgen.

Guess what.., the russians (or whoever responsible) forgot to salt the course adequately, so they had to run around and throw salt on it manually. The result.., parts of the course are completely loose and especially at the end of the downhill into the stadium. As a result, girls have been eating snow.

It'll be an exciting day.

Favs are Bjørgen for women with Randall as 2nd fav imo and Ustyugov for men as well as Northug, Kriukov, Hattestad, Pethukov, Cologna Hellner++.But Northug needs to find a good pair of skating skies, which he hasn't been able to all season. Guy has to regret leaving the national fed and their top ski park and prep. Actually, he just finished and probably out! wow..,

Great to see the audience; can't remember last time an olympics was this well attended in these events.

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Petter is through.., time not as bad as thought, but didn't look good.

Russians, Hellner and Cologna dangerous. Hattestad looks good, but his stamina throughout the day is questionable.

Probably seen twenty crashes so far. Great TV and entertainment! I see what you did there, Sochi.. Who needs prepped courses for XC skiing.

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Something has to be wrong with Jonsson. He looks like he's about to drop dead...

Lol. Guy made a false start on purpose to be in the spotlight. He was done already before the final. He's a special sprinter and in the elevation and tough course some of them struggled with the stamina for the final..., So what happens is he drops off in the first hill. Has nothing.., then in the downhill before the stadium Glørsen, Ustyugov and Hellner all trips. Hellner breaks his pole. Ustyugov trips right over a Glørsen lying in the snow.. in high speed, and 30 seconds behind Jönsson comes, takes 3rd position and gives everything to hold it.

Closest thing you'll get to a Bradbury this olympics.

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I keeped my fingers crosed for tomorrow performance of Justyna Kowalczyk at 10km classic.

For those who do not follow women cross country. This girl 2 weeks before Olympics broke her feet. She has two ways: put her leg in plaster and give up with going to Sochi, or practicing with huge amount of pain and start in Sochi with broken feet (during hard training it is impossible to cure it, the bone is still broken). She decided to go with the 2nd one. I cant imagine the pain of broken bone during cross country practice and during olympic starts. I cant imagine feeling of sportsmen when all 4years work can be discarded just in minute, just a couple of days before your main '4 year' or even life target.

Before injury she was unbeatable at this distance since 3 years, but one week before Olympics during World Cup competition in Toblach she was only 5th (she started with huge amount of painkillers and stiffening.

Do not underestimate the heart of a master! Go Justyna!

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I dont know how i should understand 'top her gold' ;-). Gold is gold, certificate of beeing master in discipline.

Vancouver 2010 was hard for Kowalczyk. She was favourite on each distance but then Marit Bjoergen showed her best shape beating all girls easily. The only one able to compete with Bjoergen was Kowalczyk at 30km classic beating Norwegian by 0.2s. It was second polish gold medal after 38 years - really huge deal. Actually Justyna said that she didnt enjoy Olympics because of huge pressure, and that Sochi will be her best time. Untill injury all was on course to hit the gold once again.

Probably tomorrows bronze or silver (IMHO Marit Bjoergen is out of reach) wont be more significant in history, but still certificate of beeing heroine.

Vancouver 2010 had heroine - Petra Majdic, this time this is Kowalczyk fighting with pain. Im sending her the best thoughts I can.

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Wow, couldn't watch, but must have been really exciting. Great result (bronze for Germany \o/), but no medals for Norway and Russia? What happened?

I think somehow these Olympics have been rigged for all of the favourites to fall and for Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands to steal everyone medals.

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Wow, couldn't watch, but must have been really exciting. Great result (bronze for Germany \o/), but no medals for Norway and Russia? What happened?

Norway had a bad second leg by Johaug and fell 30 seconds behind. They could never close. Bjoergen did nothing as anchor and actually got passed by the French. Just a poor effort across the board from Norway. Finland and Germany pulled ahead after the two classical legs and stayed there through the 3rd. Sweden was about 20 seconds back at the exchange and Kalla ran them down on the last hill and then blew the doors off in the sprint. Germany skied way above expectations. It was good to see them rewarded with a medal.

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"Everybody saw that the skis were not good," Therese Johaug said. "But we do our best and I know that the men in the (wax) cabins do their best, but other nations were much better today."

Strange. Norway spend 2mln USD for 'Waxing for Sochi' project including continuous research since 3 years in Sochi. They have a giant service truck and a huge number of professionals here, and suddenly noticed biggest flop in cross country since World Championships 1999 in Ramsau. Disappointing performances of Peter Northug and Marit Bjoergen (she was said to aiming in 6 gold medals in 6 races, but now we know that 3 of them she finished off the podium.

Charlotte Kalla is in shape i've never seen her. Will be Norwegians able to catch her on 30km freestyle?

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