Norway takes two golds to top medals table at Winter Olympics

PyeongChang: Snow sports powerhouse Norway grabbed two gold medals on Sunday to top the medals table at the Winter Olympic Games here.

Norway, the cross-country-crazed nation, first saw its 16-year gold medal drought in the men's 4x10-kilometre relay come to an end, and then claimed another gold through Oystein Braaten in freestyle skiing men's slopestyle, foreign media reported.

The team of Didrik Toenseth, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Simen Hegstad Kruger and Klaebo won the race in 1 hour, 33 minutes and 4.9 seconds.

"It has been a long time since Norway took gold in the relay," team member Simen Hegstad Krueger said. "It was one of the most important races for us at the Olympics."

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"It's going well," said Norwegian coach Tor Arne Hetland. "It's the national sport in Norway, so of course it is an important sport for us."

"In the individual races you are skiing for yourself. In the relay you are skiing for the team, for the older skiers and the whole country," Hetland added.

In freestyle skiing men's slopestyle, Braaten set his leading position with 95.00 points in the first run, an intact score throughout the competition.

The Norwegians now top the medals table with nine golds, nine silvers and eight bronzes, with Germany next (9-5-4) and the Netherlands third (6-5-2).

--IANS