Sweden edges Finland for gold

Sweden’s three biggest stars came through in its biggest game ever, with Nicklas Lidstrom scoring the game-winning goal 10 seconds into the third period on assists by Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg as the Swedes beat rival Finland 3-2 on Sunday for the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal.

Three stars and three goals combined to make for one huge celebration in Sweden, which once again established its on-ice superiority over its smaller neighbor. Finland had been unbeaten in seven Olympic games in Turin, playing near-perfect hockey.

After they won, the Swedes mobbed each other behind the Finn goal and Sundin and Forsberg grabbed Swedish flags and carried them around the ice, and Forsberg joyously tossed both gloves into the crowd. Several Swedish players cried during the medals ceremony.

It was Sweden’s second gold medal in four Olympics.

Cross country Italy’s Giorgio di Centa used an impressive sprint through the final stretch to separate from a big pack of skiers for a thrilling victory in the men’s 50km skate, the final cross-country race of the Turin Games.

Di Centa finished in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 11.8 seconds, only eight-tenths of a second ahead of silver medalist Eugeni Dementiev of Russia – a wild ending to the longest and most grueling event in cross-country skiing.

Austria’s Mikhail Botwinov took the bronze.