PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, (AFP) – Winter Olympics legend Marit Bjoergen lifted Norway top of the final Pyeongchang medals table on Sunday, as Russia celebrated a dramatic men’s hockey gold – but also saw their flag barred from the closing ceremony over doping.
Bjoergen, 37, won her second gold and fifth medal at Pyeongchang in the women’s 30km cross country mass start, extending her record Winter Olympics career tally to 15.
It was a fitting finale as it handed Norway their 14th gold to overtake Germany in the final medal count, after the German team won the four-man bobsleigh earlier on Sunday.
Germany also finish on 14 golds, but Norway take top spot with their record 39 medals overall to Germany’s 31. Canada are third with 11 golds, while hosts South Korea are seventh.
Norway’s celebrations capped a dramatic final day of competition that saw the Olympics Athletes from Russia beat Germany 4-3 in a sudden-death, overtime hockey thriller.
Kirill Kaprizov scored a thumping power-play goal 9:40 into the extra period to trigger wild celebrations and end a 26-year wait for the title to return to Russian hands.
The Russian players were heard singing the Russian national anthem on the ice – apparently contravening rules governing their participation as neutrals, following a major doping scandal.
