Sprinting to gold
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ByEurosport
Published 22/02/2006 at 08:09 GMT
After a two-day break the Olympic cross-country competition returns with the men's and women's sprints on Wednesday. After sweeping up in both the men's and women's team sprints earlier in the Games, Sweden are looking good to add to their medals tally.
Eurosport
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Lina Andersson, Anna Dahlberg, Bjoern Lind and Thobias Fredriksson will no doubt take to the snow on Wednesday spurred on by their previous Olympic triumphs.
But there are a few skiers yet to perform to their best and will use this occasion to get their individual Olympic campaign back on track.
Who will be strong and fast enough to beat the impressive Swedes though.
For the women, Beckie Scott and Sara Renner showed what they were made off during the team sprint as they brought Canada the silver medal with a gutsy performance just 0.6 seconds off Swedes Andersson and Dahlberg. Both are capable of causing upsets.
Ella Gjoemle of Norway stands third in the World Cup sprint standings. Gjoemle had a slow start to the sprint season but gathered speed and rank building up to the Games.
She beat the best in Obersdorf and just missed the podium with a fourth-placed finish in the sprints in Davos, Switzerland - the last race before the Olympics.
Finns Virpi Kuitunen should not be one to overlook. After a bronze medal in the team sprint and a honourable World Cup - Kuitunen occupies fifth place in the sprint standings and has a serious chance of making it to the Olympic podium again.
Manuela Henkel is Germany's best hope of bringing home a sprint medal, but the German has had a roller coaster ride of a season so far with her best result coming Otepaeae in early January - Henkel came second behind Lina Andersson.
Marit Bjoergen of Norway showed us that despite a troubled build-up and beginning to the Games she did the necessary in the 10 kilometre individual with silver but might not have what is needed in a quick-fire sprint.
For the men, Norwegians Tor Arne Hetland and Jens Arne Svartedal claimed the silver in the team sprints and will look to get Norway their first cross-country gold medal of the games.
It has to be said, though, Sweden are the favourites of going home with a sprint medal, as not only do they have the talents of Lind and Fredriksson, Peter Larsson can also mix it with the best.
Larsson won the season opener in Dusseldorf holding off the fastest with a fine collection of sprints.
Russia's Vassilli Rotchev will be out to equal his compatriot Evgenji Dementiev's individual gold in the pursuit and better his own bronze in the team sprints while Cristian Zorzi will sprint in front of home fans looking to get them a second cross-country gold.
But here are some outsiders for you.
France's Roddy Darragon has had a mixed start to the season but can produce a solid race, Andrew Newell of the USA lies 13th in the World Cup sprint standings and just missed out of a podium place in Obersdorf at the end of January finishing fourth.
Holding the flame for Estonia is Anti Saarepuu and Pritt Narusk, but will their compatriots' tally of three gold medals be enough to spur them on to the podium?
Follow all the action LIVE starting with the sprint qualification at 10:00 cet!
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