Olympics: Lazutina wins to equal record

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Larissa Lazutina, of Russia, who had missed the previous race because of a doping suspicion, yesterday won the women's 30km cross country race to collect her record-equalling 10th medal.

Lazutina powered home ahead of the field and beat Gabriela Paruzzi of Italy by 1min 48.1sec. Another Italian, Stefania Belmondo, took the bronze to add to the gold she won in the 15km free style race.

Lazutina was disqualified before the relay on Thursday after abnormal levels of haemoglobin were found in her blood in a drug test. Her disqualification led to Russia's Olympic team threatening to leave. That threat was later dropped and the results of Lazutina's urine sample, which had to be matched with the blood test, have not been announced.

Lazutina covered the high-altitude Soldier Hollow course in 1hr 29min 9sec. Her 10th medal tied the record held by Raisa Smetanina, also a Russian cross country skier who won hers between 1976 and 1992. Her sixth career Olympic gold medal drew Lazutina level with two more Russians, the speedskater Lydia Skoblikova and the cross country skier Lyubov Yegorova.

"The fact that we did not compete [on Thursday] was challenging. I was devastated and it made me more determined for today," she said. "I believe today what happened was what was supposed to happen in the team relay. I proved the Russians are the best."

Marc Gagnon led a Canadian double in the men's short track speed skating 500m final on Saturday night, after the American Apolo Anton Ohno was disqualified from the second semi-final for impeding.

Gagnon finished first ahead of his compatriot Jonathan Guilmette with Rusty Smith of the United States third. Gagnon, who took bronze in the 1,500m behind Ohno's silver, finished in a time of 41.802sec.

Gagnon claimed his second gold, leading Canada to victory in the 5,000m relay. Canada, the gold medal winners in Nagano, were the only one of four teams to finish the race without a crash. Italy, surprise gold medallists at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, took the silver and China the bronze.

The United States finished fourth, a lap down on the Canadians, capping a dismal evening for Ohno.