Bjoergen wins record 8th gold medal

PYEONGCHANG - Marit BJOERGEN (NOR) equalled the record of most gold medals won at the Olympic Winter Games when she won the ladies' 30km mass start classic on Sunday 25 February at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Centre.  Early in the race Bjoergen made it a battle for silver and bronze as she skied away from the leading group to claim her 8th Olympic gold medal.  Finland's Krista Parmakoski won her 3rd medal of the games picking up the silver medal today.  Sweden's Stina Nilsson took the bronze medal.  Nilsson believed she had gotten 4th place when she crossed the line as she was unaware that Austria's Teresa Stadlober had taken a wrong turn and was in fact behind Nilsson.  Stadlober at the time of the mistake was in second place.  She finished in 9th.

COMPETITION FACTS

• BJOERGEN won her eighth gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games, equalling the record set by biathlete Ole Einar BJOERNDALEN (NOR) and cross-country skier Bjoern DAEHLIE (NOR).

• On Wednesday 21 February, BJOERGEN broke the record of most medals won at the Winter Games as she won her 14th medal in the team sprint, surpassing BJOERNDALEN on 13. BJOERGEN won her 15th medal today.

• BJOERGEN won Norway's 14th gold medal at PyeongChang 2018, equalling the record by one NOC at a single Winter Games, set by Canada in 2010 and equalled by Germany earlier today.

• It was Norway's 14th cross-country skiing medal at these Winter Games, breaking the record of total medals by one NOC in this sport at a single Winter Games, set by Soviet Union in 1988.

• Norway has won a medal in 11 cross-county skiing events at PyeongChang 2018, setting an NOC record in the sport. The previous record also belonged to Norway, with a medal in 10 different events in 2002.

• BJOERGEN won her fifth medal at PyeongChang 2018, equalling the record of most medals won at a single Winter Games. Ten different athletes have achieved this, including BJOERGEN in 2010.

• BJOERGEN is the first athlete to win a second gold medal in the ladies' 30km (free and classic) at the Olympic Winter Games.

• Silver medallist Krista PARMAKOSKI (FIN) won her third medal at PyeongChang 2018 and became the fifth female athlete from Finland to win at least three medals at a single Olympic Winter Games. The last Finnish woman to achieve this was cross-country skier Marjo MATIKAINEN in 1988.

• Stina NILSSON (SWE) won bronze and became the third Swedish woman to win at least five medals at the Olympic Winter Games, after cross-country skier Charlotte KALLA (nine medals) and Alpine skier Anja PAERSON (six).

ATHLETE QUOTES

1. Marit BJOERGEN (NOR) - gold

On winning her 15th Olympic medal:
"When I look behind me and see what I have done, it's incredible. It has been an amazing career for me, this is my last Olympics and to finish like this is incredible. I've had an amazing day, today my skis were good and it was special, the last 100 metres by myself there and I understand that I'd win the gold medal. Of course I'm very proud of myself to do what I've done, it's been an incredible career for me, and after being a mum, it's hard to stay away from home and these three weeks I was away from my son also, it's been tough, and to finish like this is amazing."

On her future:
"We'll see what I'll do after this season, what I'm doing, if I'll take (continue) next year also, it's hard to know now. I only have the focus on this year. But of course it's been incredible for me to have five Olympics and 15 medals like that, it's hard to understand actually, I think I need some moments by myself and see what I've done and look behind me."

On her legacy:
"The future is good for Norway, they've always got younger athletes who are coming up and I think that's the reason why we are so good, that we always have some new people who are coming up and they have some idols to see. After these Olympics maybe we get some more boys and girls coming up. If they do cross-country or something else, Alpine skiing or skating, it looks good for the future."

On what this final victory means:
"I came to these Olympics to fight for one individual gold medal and I didn't have it before, the 30km (classic), and I knew that was the distance for me and I like these conditions. I knew that I had good skis on these conditions, I knew everything was there for me if I had a good body."

2. Krista PARMAKOSKI (FIN) - silver

On taking silver:
"Today was a really tough day ... a long trip, but I'm so happy that I won the medal. (Gold medallist) Marit BJOERGEN (NOR) was really strong today but a silver was really good for me."

On what the medal means for Finland:
"I think that our country is really happy and of course yesterday when Iivo (NISKANEN, FIN) won the 50k it was a big day for us. It's good for our sport that we can show the young girls and boys that they can also get victories in Olympic races. It's so important for us."

3. Stina NILSSON (SWE) - bronze

On only realising she was third at the end as Teresa STADLOBER (AUT) skied the wrong way:
"I was so sure I was fighting for the fourth place and not the bronze medal, so to realise that I took the bronze was really unexpected. It is a huge difference between a fourth place and a bronze medal at the Olympics so it means a lot to me."

On her preparations for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games:
"There's so much work (behind this) and I came into these Games in my best shape of my life, so to be able to continue that shape during these weeks is something that I only could have dreamed of before I came here."