Freestyle skiing-Swede Naeslund storms to ski cross gold

ZHANGJIAKOU, China :Sweden's Sandra Naeslund stormed to victory in a controversial women's ski cross final at the Beijing Games, bursting out of the gate in the final on Thursday and not looking back until her first Olympic medal was in the bag.

Canada's Marielle Thompson claimed the silver and Daniela Maier of Germany the bronze. Fanny Smith, a bronze medallist at Pyeongchang 2018, was relegated to fourth for an infringement after a prolonged review of the race.

"It feels unbelievable," a tearful Naeslund said after claiming her first ever Olympics medal after three attempts, which includes an agonising fourth spot in Pyeongchang in 2018.

"A meter before the line I realised I was first in an Olympic final. It's huge ... there's so much relief, pride, gratitude, there's so many emotions," she said.

Workers used shovels to clear the course and flatten sections of it before redrawing the lines ahead of the final races after consistent heavy snow fell during the afternoon.

As the snow blew in almost horizontally across the course, the final was a hard-fought affair with Naeslund again in the vanguard, and Thompson, Maier and Smith jostling for the last two medals on offer.

Naeslund took no chances, streaking into the lead in the final and bolting over the technical opening section to stay out of trouble as her rivals battled it out in her wake.

While the 25-year-old Naeslund rocketed across the line ahead of Thompson, Smith and Maier, the official result was delayed due to a lengthy review after a number of near-misses.

The four athletes waited in the freezing cold, Naeslund clutching a Swedish flag, for the result of the review, which ended with Swiss racer Smith being downgraded to fourth place as Maier moved up into the