Sweden's Kalla wins women's x-country skiing

Charlotte Kalla of Sweden led from start to finish yesterday to win the women's 10-kilometer freestyle cross-country skiing race at the Vancouver Games in Whistler, British Columbia, for her first Olympic gold medal.

Kalla led by more than 12 seconds with less than 3 kilometers to go in the interval-start race and held off Kristina Smigun-Vaehi's strong finish to win in 24 minutes, 58.4 seconds.

"I feel a bit confused," the 22-year-old Swede said. "It's going to take a while for this to sink in . . . I can't believe I'm a gold medalist."

Smigun-Vaehi, an Estonian who won two golds at the 2006 Turin Games but has struggled this season, won silver after finishing 6.6 seconds behind Kalla. Marit Bjoergen of Norway took the bronze medal, 15.9 seconds back.

World Cup leader and double-world champion Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland trailed from the start, finishing fifth behind Anna Haag of Sweden.

"This course is not for me," said Kowalczyk, who has complained the Olympic track is too easy without a major uphill climb. "I'm very disappointed, not very happy."

Caitlin Compton of Minneapolis came in 30th, nearly two minutes behind Kalla, for the best finish by an American in the event since Judy Rabinowitz placed 26th at the 1984 Games in Sarajevo.

Swiss win in 15k cross country

Switzerland's Dario Cologna won the men's 15-kilometer freestyle cross-country race in his Olympic debut.

Cologna collapsed across the finish line after completing the course in 33:36.3, then stayed down for several seconds while catching his breath and soaking it all in.

Italian Pietro Piller Cottrer won the silver, finishing 24.6 seconds behind Cologna, and Czech skier Lukas Bauer won the bronze to go with the silver medal he won in the 15k classical style race in Turin.

Bauer's time was 35.7 seconds slower than Cologna's.

James Southam of Anchorage, Alaska, was the top American finisher, in 48th place (35:58.2).

Weir mulls quad jump

Johnny Weir already has decided to drop fur from his costume. Now he's thinking about adding a quadruple jump to his program.

"What do I have to lose?" Weir said. "I'm not a favorite for a medal here. If I feel like doing it, I will do it."

The flamboyant three-time U.S. champion has rarely used the four-revolution jump. Urged to do it by his coach, Galina Zmievskaya, Weir pulled off a good one during practice Monday.-- AP