PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — When Simen Hegstad Krueger slipped and fell on the first lap of the 30-kilometer cross-country skiathlon and found himself face down in the snow with two rivals on top of him, he figured his hopes at an Olympic medal were over.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
"Here it is my first ever Olympic race, and it starts in the worst possible way," said the Norwegian, who untangled his legs and his skis from the two Russian competitors he wrecked, grabbed his broken ski pole and stormed up the hill to get back in contention.