Skicross victory boosts medal count

There were several disappointments for Norway on Sunday, when Aksel Lund Svindal failed to win an expected gold in the men’s combined giant slalom, when Ole Einar Bjørndalen had a bad day on the biathlon trail and when the women failed to place on their own biathlon platform. But then came Audun Grønvold out of nowhere and grabbed a bronze medal in the relatively new event known as the skicross. His Swiss rival took a fall, pushing Grønvold up from fourth place in an event won by Michael Schmid of Switzerland. Grønvold’s bronze brought Norway’s total medal count up to 12 as of Sunday night Norwegian time: Five golds, three silvers and four in bronze.
(Written February 21, 2010)