TESERO, Italy, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Norway claimed the gold medal in the women's 4x7.5-kilometer relay of cross-country skiing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday, as Nordic teams swept the podium at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Center.
Norway finished first with a winning time of 1 hour, 15 minutes and 44.8 seconds. Sweden secured the silver medal, trailing by 50.9 seconds, while Finland took bronze in 1:16:59.5.
A total of 19 teams competed in the event, with each team fielding four skiers. The race featured alternating classic and freestyle techniques, and the team whose fourth skier crossed the finish line first was declared the winner.
Midway through the race, pre-race favorite Sweden encountered an unexpected setback when second-leg skier Ebba Andersson fell on a downhill section, dropping the team to eighth place. However, Sweden staged a strong comeback in the latter stages, overtaking rivals in the final lap to clinch silver.
China fielded a team comprising Dinigeer Yilamujiang, Chi Chunxue, Wang Yundi and He Kaile. The quartet was lapped during the race and did not finish.
The men's 4x7.5-kilometer relay is scheduled to take place on Sunday. ■
