Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla claimed the first gold of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics here on Saturday. Kalla won the women’s skiathlon cross country race ahead of Norway’s Marit Bjoergen, preventing her from collecting an unprecedented third straight gold medal in the event.
But Bjoergen still became the most decorated woman in Winter Olympics history as she claimed her 11th medal. Third came Finland’s Krista Parmakoski.
The gold medal was one of five on offer on the first day of full competition, in which the unified Korean women’s ice hockey team made its debut against Switzerland.
However, the first combined Korean team in Olympic history suffered a resounding 8-0 defeat.
Alina Muller scored four while Phoebe Staenz and Lara Stalder both struck twice to rout the Korean team, which had only played together once before and looked out of its depth.
Short-track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun claimed a first gold medal for South Korea on Saturday as the hosts made a triumphant start.
Lim got Korea off the mark on the first full day of action in the men’s 1500m in front of an ecstatic, near-capacity 12,000 crowd at the Gangneung Ice Arena.
In a frenetic final the 21-year-old saw off Dutch world record-holder Sjinkie Knegt with Semen Elistratov, one of the Russians competing as an independent, in third.
India’s Shiva Keshavan finished 34th after two rounds of heats in the men’s singles luge competitions.
Keshvan, who is taking part in his sixth and final Winter Olympics, was 36th at the end of first heat but recovered a bit in the second, where he finished 31st, to be placed 34th overall at the halfway mark of competitions at the Olympic Sliding Center.
“What a fantastic second heat. Timing of 48.710. The entire Indian camp is delighted. The picture itself speaks a thousand words,” Keshavan tweeted later.
The results: Women: Skiathlon cross country race: 1. Charlotte Kalla (Swe), 2. Marit Bjoergen (Nor), 3. Krista Parmakoski (Fin).
3,000m speed skating: 1. Carlijn Achtereekte (Ned), 2. Ireen Wust (Ned), 3. Antoinette de Jong.
Men: 1,500m short track speed skating: 1. Lim Hyojun (PRK), 2. Sjinkie Knegt (Ned), 3. Semen Elistratov (Olympic Athlete).
