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TURIN, Feb. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Germany has secured an unbeatable lead in the
Turin Olympics while Austria has achieved its historicbest despite being in the
center of a doping row.
Germany won the men's 15km biathlon and four-man bobsled titleson Saturday, making it
11 golds in total. After finishing second to Norway in the 2002 Games, Germany
is set to top the Turin Gameswith one day and two events to go.
South Korea continued to dominate short track speedskating withtwo more
golds. Its haul of six golds, all by short trackers, has put the nation in sixth
place overall.
The day augured well for Germany as its top skier Michael Greisemerged from
King Ole's shadow to win the 15km biathlon mass startin the morning.
The German entered his final shooting stage still trailing five-time
Olympic gold medalist Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. When Bjoerndalenmissed two targets
and Greis shot clean, Greis surpassed his Norwegian rival and became the first
three-time gold medalist at the Turin Games.
The 29-year-old German finished 6.3 seconds ahead of runner-up Tomasz
Sikora of Poland and 12.3 in front of Bjorerndalen, who added a bronze to three
silvers.
Germany, led by Andre Lange, claimed the four-man bobsled gold in 3:40.42,
beating Russia and Switzerland into second and third places.
On the day when the International Olympic Committee set up a special panel
to probe into an Austrian doping scandal, Austria clinched an emphatic victory
in the men's slalom.
Benjamin Raich, who won giant slalom last week, clocked 1:43.14to lead
teammates Reinfried Herbst and Rainer Schoenfelder to a clean sweep of the
podium.
The three-men panel appointed by IOC President Jacques Rogge will look into
equipment and drugs confiscated by Italian police during the joint raids to the
living quarters of Austrian biathletes and cross country skiers last week.
Despite doping saga, Austria has bagged nine golds in Turin, its biggest
gold tally in any winter Olympics.
Sweden's Anna Carin Olofsson won her country's first ever gold in women's
biathlon after taking the 12.5km sprint.
Cheered on by Swedish king Carl Gustaf, the 32-year-old missed just one
target -- securing the title in a time of 40 minutes 36.5seconds.
German three-time Olympic champion Kati Wilhelm finished 18.8 seconds
behind to take the silver. The 35-year-old German Uschi Disl clinched the
bronze, her ninth Olympic medal.
At the last long-track speedskating event, Canadian Clara Hughes clocked
6:59.07 for the women's 5,000m gold, with Claudia Pechstein of Germany and Cindy
Klassen of Canada picking silver and bronze.
South Korea short track speedskaters Jin Sun-yu and Ahn Hyun-soo became
triple gold medalists on Saturday.
Jin clocked 1:32.859 to add the women's 1,500m gold to 1,000m and 3,000m
relay golds. Chinese Wang Meng and Yang Yang finished second and third.
Less than 20 minutes after losing the men's 500m crown, Ahn Hyun-soo
completed his hat-trick as he led South Korea to the 5,000m top honor in an
Olympic record of 6:43.376.
Canada took the silver and the United States the bronze.
American Apolo Anton Ohno won the 500m gold in 41.935 seconds, beating
Francois-Louis Tremblay of Canada into second and Ahn intothird.
The Turin Olympics will end with the men's 50km cross country skiing and
the men's ice hockey final between Sweden and Finland on Sunday. Enditem £¨By
Sportswriter Cao Jianjie £© |