NOVE MESTO, Czech Republic (AP) — Russia defeated Norway to win the men’s cross-country World Cup team sprint Sunday, and Norway was first in the women’s event.
Olympic and World sprint champion Nikita Kriukov teamed up with Maxim Vylegzhanin to finish the 6×1.6-kilometer classic style race in 22 minutes, 03.89 seconds, beating Eldar Roenning and Eirik Bransdal by 0.22 seconds.
Norwegians Paal Golberg and Ola Vigen Hattestad were third.
In the women’s race, Maiken Caspersen Falla and Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg completed the 6×1.3-kilometer race in 20:58.47 to edge Finland’s Mona-Lisa Malvalehto and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen by 3.80 seconds.
Evgenia Shapovalova and Julia Ivanova of Russia were third.
The discipline will be featured at the Sochi Olympics next month, with each nation using one team.
