Cross-country skier Therese Johaug of Norway won the women’s 30-kilometer mass start, her third gold at the Beijing Olympics.
Fighting fierce winds and brutal temperatures, she went out front early in the race and held on, finishing in 1 hour, 24 minutes and 54 seconds. Johaug also won the skiathlon and 10-kilometer classic race.
American Jessie Diggins kept a steady pace behind the Norwegian as gusts whipped across the tracks, battering the skiers. She crossed the finish line 1 minute and 43.3 seconds behind Johaug to win silver. She had already become the first American woman to win an individual cross-country medal when she took bronze in the sprint earlier in the Beijing Games.
Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen won bronze 2 minutes and 33.3 second back.
Strong wind gusts sent snow squalls across the frozen tracks as the women skied four laps on a 7.5-kilometer (4.6-mile) course with buffs pulled up over their hats, tape across their faces and extra layers under their racing suits.
