March 20, 2010 (Whistler, BC) – Skiing conditions were hard and fast, and skies were clear and quickly warming up as six countries with three skiers each lined up for the women’s 7.5km relay. This event combines sit, standing and visually impaired athletes who don’t have to touch one another at the transition zone, but rather ski into a parallel area that overlaps the skiers. Once skiers are beside each other, the next leg can commence. Countries do not have to field one athlete from each category – they can enter their fastest skiers period.

Japan’s Shoko Ota led in the first

leg, but Russia’s visually impaired Mikhalina Lysova soon established a lead during the second leg, which teammate Liubov Vasilyeva, also a visually impaired skier, maintained to take the gold for Russia with a total time of 20:23:2. The Ukrainians came on strong, as they have during these Games, claiming the silver at 19:5 seconds back. Belarus won the bronze at 1:41:0 minutes back. Canada placed a strong fourth, with sit skier Collette Bourgonje going out as the first skier, followed by visually impaired athlete Robbi Weldon with the third fastest time of the day, as standing skier Jody Barber finished at 1:58:0 minutes behind the Russia, but a close 0.3 seconds ahead of Japan. The United States did not field a team.

Men’s 14km Relay
Even the Norwegian gold medalists from Torino in 2006, who dominated in the first two laps of this exciting race, could not keep the Russian machine from yet another victory. The Norwegians were strong for the first two laps fighting off the Russians and the Ukrainians, but going into the third and last leg, Russia’s visually impaired skier Nikolay Polukhin took the lead by 3.9 seconds over the chasing Ukrainians, who had also pulled ahead. By the finish it was Russia taking the race in 38:54: 8, with the Ukraine scooping silver at 21.9 seconds back. Norway had to settle for the bronze at 55:1 seconds behind. Belarus was fourth at 2:25 minutes back, with Japan in fifth, 2:54:0 minutes behind. France took sixth at 3:16:0 while the Canadian team of Sebastien Fortier, Tyler Mosher and Mark Arendz finished seventh at 4:57:2 behind. China was the last of the eight teams as the USA did not field a team.

Women’s full relay results here.

Men’s full relay results here.