Norway Wins Ski Relay in Photo Finish

TESERO, Italy - Norwegian men won a 40-kilometer World Cup cross-country relay in a photo finish Sunday over Italy, with five skiers reaching the finish line almost at the same time.

The women's 20-kilometer relay was also decided in a sprint, with the Russian quartet beating Germany by 1.4 seconds.

In the men's race, Norway's last man, Tore Ruud Hofstad, and Italy's Christian Zorzi finished in 1 hour, 34 minutes, 7.1 seconds. One ski tip decided the winning team, which was made up of Jens Arne Svartedal, Odd-Bjoern Huelmeset, Frode Estil and Hofstad.

The French team, which featured Christophe Perillat and Vincent Vittoz, placed third, 0.5 seconds behind Norway. Russia was fourth, with the same time as France. Germany was next, 0.6 behind.

The German team was led by Axel Teichmann and Jens Filbrich, who placed 1-2 in Saturday's 30K individual double pursuit.

The Russian team of Larisa Kurkina, Natalia Baranova-Masolkina, Evgenia Medvedeva-Abruzova and Julija Tchepalova won in 51 minutes, 23.8 seconds. Germany was timed in 51:25.2 for second while Norway was third.

AP - Sports, Sun Dec 12,12:03 PM ET

Sprint to the finish : (L to R) Italy's Cristian Zorzi, Germany's Tobias Angerer, Norway's Ruud Tore Hofstad, Russia's Evgenji Dementiev and France's Alexandre Rousselet sprint during the last 300 meters of their World Cup men's 4x10km relay cross country race in Tesero. (AFP/Paolo Cocco)

Norway's Tore Ruud Hofstad, center, reacts as he wins the final rush in a men's World Cup 4x10 relay event in front of Italy's Christian Zorzi, left, second placed, France's Alexandre Rousselet, right, third placed, and Russia's Eugenji Dementiev, center, fourth placed, in Val di Fiemme, Italy, Sunday Dec.12, 2004. (AP photo/Alex Trovati)

Teichmann, Bjorgen Win Cross-Country Races

TESERO, Italy - Germany's Axel Teichmann, the cross-country World Cup leader, won a double pursuit event Saturday despite tangling with competitors late in the 30-kilometer race. Norway's Marit Bjorgen, the women's World Cup leader, took the 15-kilometer race.

Teichmann was forced to stop briefly not long after the 28-kilometer mark but won in 1 hour, 13 minutes, 14 seconds. Countryman Jens Filbrich was second, 0.7 seconds behind. France's Vincent Vittoz was third, 0.8 seconds back.

Teichmann increased his lead in the overall standings to 383 points. Vittoz and Vassili Rotchev of Russia are tied for second at 198.

In double pursuit, skiers switch from classic style to freestyle halfway through the race and change skis.

Bjorgen won her race in 39 minutes, 22.7 seconds, beating Estonia's Kristina Smigun by a second in a sprint finish. Defending World Cup champion Gabrielle Paruzzi of Italy was third, 7.6 seconds back.

Bjorgen leads the standings with 510 points, followed by Smigun at 340.

AP - Sports, Sat Dec 11, 1:43 PM ET

Race to the finish : German Axel Teichmann (3rd from L) leads the pack of skiers during the World Cup men 30km pursuit cross country race in Tesero. (AFP/Paolo Cocco)

Norway's Marit Bjoergen reacts as she crosses the finish line to win a women's World Cup pursuit event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, Saturday Dec.11, 2004. (AP photo/Alex Trovati)

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Finland's Ahonen Gets Fifth Ski-Jump Win

HARRACHOV, Czech Republic - Finland's Janne Ahonen won a World Cup ski jump Sunday for his fifth victory of the season.

Roar Ljoekelsoey of Norway was second and Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic was third. The top U.S. jumper was Clint Jones, 26th.

Ahonen leaped 140 meters in the first round and 141 in the second round on the K125 hill, totaling 288.8 points. Ljoekelsoey had 287.3 points for his jumps of 138 and 140.5 meters. Janda recorded 284.2 points, jumping only 136.5 meters in the second round.

Poland's Adam Malysz, who won Saturday to become the first jumper to beat Ahonen this season, finished 11th. He had 258.3 points, with two jumps of 133 meters.

Ahonen leads the overall standings with 580 points, followed by Janda (308) and Ljoekelsoey (293).

AP - Sports, Sun Dec 12,12:03 PM ET

Janne Ahonen of Finland flies above spectators during the sixth Ski Jumping World Cup race in the North Czech town of Harrachov, December 12, 2004. Ahonen marked jumps of 140.0 and 141.0 meters and won today ahead of second placed Roar Ljoekelsoy of Norway and third placed Czech Jakub Janda. REUTERS/Petr Josek

Finland's Ahonen Finally Loses in Ski Jump

HARRACHOV, Czech Republic - Finland's Janne Ahonen was finally beaten in a World Cup ski jump this season, finishing second to Poland's Adam Malysz on Saturday.

Ahonen won the first four meets — two in Finland and two in Norway — and still comfortably leads the standings.

Germany's Georg Spath was third. Clint Jones of the United States was 27th.

Malysz, the 2003 World Cup champion, won for the 25th time in his World Cup career. He jumped 143 meters in the first round on the K125 hill and 136 in the second for 284.2 points.

Ahonen had 279.0 points with leaps of 141 and 136.5 meters. Spath totaled 278.8 points after jumps of 135 and 141 meters.

Ahonen leads the standings with 480 points. Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic finished fourth and is second in the standings with 248 points. Martin Hollwarth of Austria, who was ninth Saturday, is third at 237. Malysz is eighth at 176.

AP - Sports, Sat Dec 11,11:19 AM ET

Polish ski jump star Adam Malysz (pictured) claimed victory in the World Cup large hill event ahead of Janne Ahonen of Finland and Germany's Georg Spaeth.(AFP/Lehtikuva/File/Matti Bjorkman)