OLYMPICS, CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING. Charlotte Kalla of Sweden captured victory in the first Cross-Country race over 10 km Free. She occupied front positions the whole race and was first in the finish with time of 24:58.4 sec. Kristina Smigun-Vaehi (EST) made an outstanding comeback and took silver with a time gap os 6.6 sec. Marit Bjoergen of Norway broke bad luck of bog events and captured bronze medal having lost on Kalla 15.9 sec.

Sweden's Charlotte Kalla crosses the finish line to winning the gold medal during the Women's 10k Cross Country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

For the 22-year-old Kalla, native from the Gällivare region, it was the first ever Olympic start and she won for Sweden the first female gold medal since the Olympics in 1968. She took the race like a World Cup race and her tactic went totally out: "I tried to focus on my plan that I set up yesterday and take it as a World Cup competition and do everything as similar as possible. I tried to not focus so much on the time. Just doing my own race, because I couldn't do anything about the others."

Kristina Smigun-Vähi took her third Olympic medal and was very satisfied with her race after making her comeback at the beginning of this season. ""I am extremely happy. I feel that I am blessed to be here. I am so glad that I get the opportunity to start." Also Marit Bjoergen got her third Olympic medal.

FIScrosscountry.com
Monday 15 February 2010

Sweden's Charlotte Kalla, front, passes by Norway's Kristin Stoermer Steira during the Women's 10k Cross Country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. Kalla won the gold.(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Sweden's Charlotte Kalla starts the Women's 10k Cross Country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. Kalla won gold. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Estonia's Kristina Smigun-Vaehi crosses the finish line to winning the silver medal during the Women's 10k Cross Country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Sweden's Charlotte Kalla celebrates winning the gold medal during flower ceremony of the Women's 10k Cross Country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010.(AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Gold medal winner Sweden's Charlotte Kalla is flanked by silver medal winner Kristina Smigun-Vaehi from Estonia, left, and bronze medal winner Norway's Marit Bjoergen during the Women's 10k Cross Country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

RESULTS

Rank Bib FIS Code Name NOC Code 5.0 km Time Rank Finish Time Behind FIS Points
1 31 3505217 KALLA Charlotte SWE 12:30.0 1 24:58.4 0.0 0.00
2 17 1094063 SMIGUN-VAEHI Kristina EST 12:39.8 3 25:05.0 +6.6 3.52
3 28 1303777 BJOERGEN Marit NOR 12:39.4 2 25:14.3 +15.9 8.49
4 23 3505183 HAAG Anna SWE 12:45.0 6 25:19.3 +20.9 11.16
5 33 3435001 KOWALCZYK Justyna POL 12:47.7 7 25:20.1 +21.7 11.59
6 26 1255374 ROPONEN Riitta-Liisa FIN 12:41.5 4 25:24.3 +25.9 13.83
7 22 1207165 MEDVEDEVA Evgenia RUS 12:42.5 5 25:26.5 +28.1 15.00
8 30 3425003 STEIRA Kristin Stoermer NOR 12:49.6 8 25:50.5 +52.1 27.82
9 21 1142563 SHEVCHENKO Valentina UKR 13:04.9 19 25:51.1 +52.7 28.14
10 16 1182042 MALAHOVA-SHISHKINA Svetlana KAZ 13:00.8 17 25:53.9 +55.5 29.63
...
60 64 3095010 GRIGOROVA Antonia BUL 14:09.8 62 28:27.7 +3:29.3 111.75
66 69 3095004 MALCHEVA Teodora BUL 14:37.7 66 29:52.4 +4:54.0 156.97
...
78 76 3315002 SMRKOVIC Belma SRB 17:33.0 78 35:47.4 +10:49.0 346.50

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