It's the Norse, of course, in super-G, cross country

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Aksel Lund Svindal and Marit Bjoergen clinched gold medals within an hour of each other on Friday to help Norway extend its domination of the Olympic men’s super-G discipline and return to the summit in cross-country skiing.

After a disappointing total of two golds in Turin four years ago, the country with more Winter Olympics gold medals than any other is back near the top of the table with five so far in Vancouver. The United States leads with six.

Britain celebrated its first individual Winter Olympics gold medal in three decades when Amy Williams won the women’s skeleton. But it was almost immediately challenged.

Wearing a helmet that provoked protests that will be considered by the international federation, Williams finished four runs at the Whistler Sliding Centre in 3 minutes, 35.64 seconds, with Germans Kerstin Szymkowiak and Anja Huber finishing second and third.

Britain had not won an individual gold since figure skater Robin Cousins at Lake Placid in 1980.

The imposing Svindal won the super-G at Whistler in 1 minute, 30.34 seconds, leaving American teammates Bode Miller and Andrew Weibrecht behind for silver and bronze. It was Norway’s fourth gold medal in seven races since the discipline was added to the Olympic program at the 1988 Calgary Games. Kjetil Andre Aamodt won it in 1992, 2002 and ‘06.

“It’s been a lot of work getting to where I need to be for winning races,” said the 27-year-old Svindal, who took silver behind Didier Defago of Switzerland in the downhill race and is peaking at the right time after a difficult season trying to defend his overall World Cup title.

Bjoergen became the first double gold medalist of the games soon after with victory in the women’s 15-kilometer cross-country pursuit.

The four-time world champion is still coming to terms with multiple trips to the top of the podium after settling for silver medals at her previous two Olympics.

“I knew that I was in great shape, but to take two golds, I never dreamed about it,” said Bjoergen, who won the individual classical sprint on Wednesday and bronze in the 10-kilometer race on Monday. “It still hasn’t dawned on me.”

Svindal’s silver medal in the downhill gave him extra confidence on a challenging, icy course.

“For sure it took some pressure off,” he said. “I felt like it was the last thing I was thinking at the start gate, ‘You already have a silver and it can only get better so enjoy this and give it all you have. Don’t hold anything back.”’

Austria didn’t get anyone into the top 10 and Switzerland’s best placing was Carlo Janka in eighth.             (AP)