Golden Greis speechless

ByEurosport

Published 25/02/2006 at 13:36 GMT

Michael Greis told Eurosport he was in dreamland after winning his third gold of the Games in Saturday's Mass Start. The German profited as lead duo Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and Tomasz Sikora wavered on the final range to triumph by six seconds and add a fin

"All in all, we had a tough race today," said Greis, who becomes the first-ever Mass Start Olympic champion. "I tried to do my race, to focus on myself, to ski the right speed and to concentrate on the shooting range. And it paid off in the end."

Greis - who missed one target on his first standing shoot - saw the door to gold open as leader Bjoerndalen missed twice and Sikora once on their final visit to the range.

"I tried to focus completely on myself during the last shoot," said Greis. "I really didn't know what the others had scored. I just wanted to find the target with my five shots and then go for the finish line.

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"INDESCRIBABLE"

"And that's what I did. It's my third gold medal, and that makes it indescribable that everything worked out so perfectly here."

Greis emerged from his final visit to the range on the backs of Sikora's skis, but soon overwhelmed the tiring Pole to render Bjoerndalen's devastating late burst valiant but vain.

BIATHLON 2006 Torino 2006 Mass Start Men Greis Sikora Bjoerndalen

Image credit: Reuters

"I just knew that, from the beginning, I had to ski quickly and keep the tempo high," said the German. "So, I had to give everything. It paid off for me. I left Tomasz behind. And Ole couldn't get closer.

"With a third gold medal, I am so unbelievably happy. This is indescribable."

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