Historic Bjoergen storms to mass start gold

Norway's Marit Bjoergen stormed to gold in the women's 30km mass start cross-country ski race, claiming her 15th Olympic medal in the final competition of the Pyeongchang Games on Sunday.

Bjoergen, the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time, broke early and kept up a relentless pace to finish almost two minutes ahead of silver medallist Krista Parmakoski of Finland, with Stina Nilsson taking the bronze for Sweden.

The 37-year-old has been superb in Pyeongchang, writing history in almost every race, and the eighth Olympic gold of her career and fifth medal overall at these Games put her into two more select band of athletes.

Bjoergen equalled the record of eight career golds at the Winter Games, matching two compatriots, biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and cross-country skier Bjoern Daehlie.

She also equalled the record of winning five medals at a single Games, something 10 athletes have done, including Bjoergen herself in 2010.

"I'm really happy and it's hard to understand what I have done from my first Olympics in Salt Lake until now," she told reporters.

Like Iivo Niskanen in Saturday's men's race, Bjoergen made an early break, gradually opening up a gap and never looking...