24/02/2018 Winter Olympics Extra

Hello, and welcome

to the penultimate day

of the Winter Olympics.

And there's still plenty

of sport to come before

we all pack up and head home.

Later in the programme,

we'll have highlights of one

of the new events at these Games,

with the mass start speed skating.

But first, Andrew Musgrave made

British cross-country history

with a seventh place finish

in his first event of the Games.

Now he takes part in his last, and

the most gruelling, the men's 50km.

Ollie Williams and Rob Walker

are your commentators.

Ollie Williams and Rob Walker

are your commentators.

We will keep our eye on Andrew

Musgrave and he -- if he is not up

amongst the leaders we will try and

keep you posted on his split times

if he is out of vision. Plenty of

stories and plenty of opportunities.

Iivo Niskanen, we have over two

hours to talk about him and the best

of the rest. He is the reigning

world champion in the 15 kilometres,

and interestingly enough... There is

Mattie hike in, he got a bronze in

the World Championships. Niskanen

opted not to start the Olympic race

because he has placed so much

attention and focus on the 50 in his

preparation. No exaggeration to say

that this is the title that he wants

and no fin has won this since 1950.

Tier he has been targeting it for

four years. He had the World

Championships on home snow last year

in Finland and that was a huge boost

to him.

This race is everything he

has been planning.

He is a big star,

and it is going to be a big contest

today between Dario: you and Alex

Harvey -- Dario Cologna. There are

many contenders. A last chance

perhaps for Harvey. He completed the

one, two, three for Sweden, Hans

Christer Holund. The question is not

about the ability of Sundby but how

tired he is. Alexey Poltoranin,

however, is on relatively fresh eggs

so they could put down the hammer

early and try and hurt the likes of

Sundby, knowing how much mileage you

already has in his legs from this

fortnight.

The only reason I think

they might not do that is because of

the wind. The windy nature of today

could hamper the ability for people

to get to the front. Niskanen says

if it is windy he will not try a

break at the front and it is quite

breezy on the exposed course right

now. John Mark Guyot of France has

an outside chance of doing

something. Andrew Marr 's golf is --

Andrew Musgrave is going to be bare

handed for this entire 50 K!

Here we go, the longest and arguably

the hardest event on the

cross-country Winter Olympic

programme. The men's 50 kilometre

classic is underway. It will take

the gold and silver and bronze

medallist well over two hours to

take and stake their claim on the

podium. It is a bit like a

world-class marathon. You do not win

it in the very early stages, but you

can certainly cost yourself some

energy if you get it wrong in the

early stages. The really interesting

thing at the beginning is going to

be if we get one or two of the guys

who have specifically and publicly

targeted this race, I wonder how

early they might try and turn the

screw here and just let the others

know that they are here and that

this is the one in which they mean

business.

It will be interesting to

see when they do that. This could be

quite a slow race because the snow

is quite dirty and it is not the

fresh snow they will race on all

season and it might make it slower.

I am not sure that too many people

given the wind will be looking to

push on from the start. You have to

be hard -- carefully that mass start

like this that there are so many

bodies and colliding with someone

now, we have seen it happen in

several races already that you will

have to lose time and you might

break a poll. All that kind of

thing. We have seen people come back

from Matt to win a gold-medal but it

is unusual to do that and you do not

want it to disrupt your start so you

will see people being quite cautious

at the start following these loans

out and it will take a little while

for us to develop any sense of who

will seize the initiative. Iivo

Niskanen leads from Alexey

Poltoranin and they are two of the

men who are really fancy to stop the

dominance of the Swedish skiers. His

sister is

sister is also a world-class skier.

I guess the only argument against

Iivo Niskanen being the joint

favourite for this because it is the

one he is

one he is targeting what he has

produced so far here. He was

disappointed with 19th in the

skiathlon and only 14 in the sprint.

He was very vocal before even when

we came for our research week before

the games began, he gave a very

candid press conference saying the

real gold medal here is the 50

kilometres on the penultimate day

and that is the one you really have

to worm and he has been really vocal

about targeting it and he is clearly

up for it. I am not saying it is a

concerted bid to break the field but

he is clearly confident that he

wants to dominate the early

proceedings ante is not confident in

the Norwegians having it all their

own way in the early stages.

We have

a gap starting to open between the

front group of about 15 or 20.

He is

certainly making his presence felt

at the front and Sundby is

recognising that he is a danger man

so he has decided to respond little

bit.

bit. Look at that, the three

Russians are all in our line. The

cameras are focusing in on Dario

Cologna, he is a four-time Olympic

champion and he is going for number

five. It is an event in which he has

always been unlucky. This can and is

having a little probe off the front

here and he is undermining his class

and his desire to take the title.

That is an excellent way to phrase

it, it is a little probe, just

pushing off the front of little bit.

You can see Sundby on the left,

wearing number four and very close

to others but I wonder what is left

in his tank. I think Norway will be

looking to the second half of the

race and their experience and what

they have done so far and they will

maybe be looking to Niklas Dyrhaug.

Iivo Niskanen is still putting

everything in and he is looking

relatively fresh to me. It looks

like Niskanen and Alexey Poltoranin

are not breaking themselves to get

up this hill but they are applying

pressure. Alexander Bolshunov is

trying to do something about the

gap. It ticks down a few seconds and

if he gets himself on the podium in

this race it would really confirm

him as the new star of Russian

skiing because he has already looked

so good, and to do it again here at

the age of 21 would be really

something.

A change of skis for

Alexander Bolshunov. Into the pits

and a new set on as quickly as you

can reasonably do it. A bit of a

fudge with his right-hand ski but we

are away.

It is a great piece of

France skiing from Iivo Niskanen.

Alexey Poltoranin is really hurting.

There is no other reason why the man

from Kazakhstan who was vocal about

targeting this race is no other

reason he would let this much space

grow between him and the Finn. The

infection of pace has thus far

claimed another casualty and Alexey

Poltoranin now finds himself locked

together with the talented

21-year-old Alexander Bolshunov who

at the last checkpoint was over half

a minute ahead of Sundby and Hans

Christer Holund for fifth and sixth

and he will have to do this last 20

K entirely on his own, even if

Skervin, if this is going to be gold

he will let -- earn every single

ounce of the medal that will go

around his neck in the ceremony

tomorrow night. Alexei under

Bolshunov moves ahead of Alexey

Poltoranin.

Poltoranin. Alexey Poltoranin may

not have another elections, he is

likely to be selected for Kazakhstan

but in four years' time we be as

competitive as now? He has never won

an Olympic medal and if now he is

starting to sail away back into the

distance and his engine has gone, it

is going to be crashing for him

because he has a world bronze medal

in this race before but at the

Olympic level he would have loved to

do something today. You can see he

is behind now but can you hold on

for the medal here when there is so

far to go? Will he be hauled in, as

the Norwegian duo and Alex Harvey of

Canada. Alex Harvey 's problem now

has been that he has not had the

legs in this Olympics. He has been

in a good place in the last few

Olympics and we have seen him at the

halfway point and the gap is now

closing up on Iivo Niskanen at the

front but only very gradually. You

can see him heading up on the list

-- left. Alex Harvey has done well

here to keep the pace so far. He

needs to avoid what happened to him

in the other races, losing that

energy in the final third.

For

Bolshunov it now becomes an

advantage to be the lighting -- that

young Russian and to be 21 years old

because he will not be worrying

about the same things as Niskanen

who knows this is his chance,

finally he has a 50 kilometres

classic. It will be eight years

before the next one of these at the

Winter Olympics because in four

years' time it will be a freestyle

as these rotate. He will be 34 by

the time the next one comes around

and he feels that now he is in his

prime. Bolshunov is 13 seconds back

and he might feel his chances

slipping away. Bolshunov has three

medals already at these Olympics and

probably other than hauling in

Niskanen he doesn't have much of a

care in the world right now. The

reason that his performances so

special and remarkable in this race

is that he was on the podium in the

sprint as well and to be that

competent over the short distance

and now trying to reel in Niskanen

over the longest distance, it really

is worthy of note. Suddenly it is a

very, very lonely race. You can see

now that it looks like Niskanen is

having to work and struggling a bit

on the right ski up this hill.

Bolshunov is well in touch and he

can seen this given ahead of him and

even that, being able to see the

guy, makes a big, big difference

when you are consuming like this,

knowing that your target is ahead of

you and I think Bolshunov is looking

stronger coming up this climb as

well. It is interesting, we are

approaching about 36 kilometres now

of this 50 kilometre race. Iivo

Niskanen has given us such a

gripping spectacle by forcing his

rival Paul to run into come with him

off the front and creating this

massive gap and now Bolshunov fills

that.

that. Bolshunov now is just slowly

hauling in Iivo Niskanen and we are

going to be in for quite some

finish. Really and truly one of the

other story is -- stories is that

Dario Cologna has disappeared to two

point three seconds behind -- two

minutes and 13 seconds behind. Even

the Norwegians, we have recently had

Andrey Larkov go through the

checkpoint two minutes behind and

they have lost 16 seconds on Iivo

Niskanen. All the Norwegians are at

least two minutes behind and Iivo

Niskanen, even if he is caught by

Alexander Bolshunov, it is

incredible, what he has done to this

race and how it has left the

Norwegians and Alex Harvey and Dario

Cologna in his rake -- week.

He has

blown the field apart. He was as

good as his prerace predictions and

he said it would go for it and he

said he was targeting gold in this,

the hardest event. It is going to be

an agonising run in to the finish

for Iivo Niskanen bad he cannot

afford to ease up because where

everybody else is still falling

further behind him, Alexander

Bolshunov, the 21-year-old from

Russia, is continuing to put the

psychological pressure on Iivo

Niskanen. Every time, and he will

have a few opportunities because it

is a twisting and turning course,

every time it takes a left and or

are right and he will see that

maroon shadow looming large. This is

real pressure now from the Russian.

A little reminder if you haven't

watched Marcus Cross country and you

don't who we are talking about, on

the left is Iivo Niskanen from

Finland. He was fourth in the relay

and 19th in the sprint. A team

sprint specialist from Sochi who

four years focusing entirely on

winning this race here today. He was

the one who made the move and surged

forward earlier than we thought

anyone would and he absolutely blew

apart the field in this race. Up

until a few minutes ago he looks

like he was totally untouchable for

the remaining ten or 15 kilometres.

However the man you see appear

behind him now, wearing number

seven, is Alexander Bolshunov, the

Olympic Athletes from Russia. Russia

Posner various issues in the last

year or two have allowed him to come

here and become at the age of only

21 essentially the leading light of

Russian cross-country skiing. He has

delivered a silver in the relay and

a silver in the team sprint and

bronze in the sprint and now he is

impressing so much once again

because he has hauled in Iivo

Niskanen and now there is virtually

no gap at all with just about 12.5

kilometres to go.

We have a duel on

our hands. All of the others are

slipping further and further behind

this fabulous Finn but Bolshunov has

worked his way up from the middle of

the lead pack and inch by inch and

second by second he has closed the

gap. This is where we get to see the

extent of the eagerness can and

resolve. He will definitely be

hurting. It would be impossible for

him not to feel the effects of the

savage pace that has decimated a

world-class field, including Dario

Cologna, oh at the last checkpoint

was far off three minutes off the

pace and at some stage this has got

to take a toll on Iivo Niskanen,

even when you bear in mind that he

will have the adrenaline of knowing

he is leading and knowing he is in

with a shout of what would be the

biggest victory of his career. What

about Alexey Poltoranin?

He is now

50 seconds adrift and now it is

equally impressive that a 21 your

old selected for the Olympic at the

door of Russia team has been able,

unlike so many more experienced and

better on paper contenders,

Alexander Bolshunov has been able to

match him, not by heading out with

this given but with letting him get

the best part of three quarters of a

minute ahead and then bringing him

back. For the first time in such a

long time this can and have someone

to work within the front but equally

it could lose a gold medal to them.

That makes this a really important

strategic time now for both of these

athletes. This Canon has more

experience of these races but

Bolshunov may have more left in him

for the remaining kilometres.

for the remaining kilometres.

These

are huge moments or Iivo Niskanen of

Finland. His bold strategy, his

passion for this distance, and for

the history of this event, led him

to make a decision to go very, very

hard before the halfway stage. It

has worked in all but one regard. He

has got rid of everybody who stands

in his way of this gold medal that

he so desperately craves. But

Bolshunov has played a very smart

game. He has clawed his way back

towards the flying Finn and done so

gradually and done so with the real

tactical maturity that belies his

years, only 21 years of age and he

has got great range and brilliant

acceleration, otherwise he would not

have been in the podium with the

team sprint with the silver or the

silver in the relay or the bronze in

the individual sprint. But the

question now is how does Iivo

Niskanen respond to this situation?

Not so much physically but mentally.

You are miles clear and pulling away

from everyone. It is a great

situation. Even though the body

starts to feel it you know your

tactic is working and you can start

to think about the glorious run into

the finish but now he has to hang

on. Does he play a smart game here?

If he is feeling OK physically, and

he will get tired at some stage,

does he now refuse to help the

Russian? Does he tucked in behind

him and start thinking about going

for a massive splint -- sprint

towards the end? Alexey Poltoranin

is definitely getting tied in third

and he is now more than a minute

behind these two. Will change of

skis come into the mix to influence

the proceedings the last ten K? This

is the moment where the questions

are being asked and it will be

fascinating to see how Niskanen

responds.

The waxing is going on

now. His team are preparing the skis

so it is like cutting to the pit

lane in the F1 coverage and seeing

them about the tyres. We know that

Niskanen will come in for the skis

and the Finnish team have been

looking at this race and looked at

the conditions and they know the

conditions have changed and Diaz got

cold out

cold out there and they will now try

to adapt to that and say, OK, what

does he need honestly to finish this

race? The same applies to Bolshunov.

They look like there is quite a pace

coming on between them. An update on

the British contenders in this race,

Andrew Musgrave came through the 35

kilometres checkpoint at 45th, nine

minutes back from the leader. Calum

Smith was further back at 58 just a

few moments ago.

Two questions here.

If Niskanen comes in for a pit stop

will the new skis with the wax make

a difference? Also, will the fact

that he takes a pit stop, assuming

he does, give this man from Russia

and opportunity to accelerate and

create a gap for the first time?

That will be fascinating over this

next 150 metres or so.

It creates an

entirely new dramatic -- dynamic

because now with Niskanen comes in

you will have Bolshunov out alone

and suddenly he is not the one doing

the chasing, which he has been for

most of this race, he is the one

being chased and he needs to change

mindset as well because even now,

when there are two of you together,

it is a different mindset as to

whether you stop and you can see

that Niskanen will peel off now and

Bolshunov will go off out alone as

Niskanen comes in for the change. He

is quite measured and taking time a

little bit and Rob has a different

interpretation of that to me. I

thought Niskanen kept is calm in

that change and he came out again

but he has distanced to make up and

now what does Bolshunov do? He has

an 11 second gap by virtue of the

stop. How will Alexander Bolshunov,

21 years old and in his first

Olympics, how will you handle that

gap and this pressure?

Compared to

some of the other pit stops we have

seen, it took maybe a second or two

longer certainly than we saw for

Sundby who had a brilliant pit stop

in the early stages of the race.

Alexey Poltoranin is falling further

adrift and getting closer to

Niskanen because he lost ground

after that pit stop. The man from

Kazakhstan is completely isolated on

his own in third place but at the

moment he has a gap of more than one

minute on the chase group that

contained two Norwegians and the

Russian and the man from Canada. The

question here is how helpful was the

change of skis? Is the improved grip

on the snow worth the 11 seconds

that it cost Iivo Niskanen to make

that pit stop? I think with the

naked eye he is closing the gap.

That could be significant. Here come

the chasers. You have the likes of

Andrei Lobkov, followed by Alex

Harvey, Hans Christer Holund and

Martin Johnsrud Sundby. These guys

are good enough that on a different

race on a different day this was

always sprint for gold and silver

and bronze but we have three very,

very bold men who have gone

extremely barred extremely early and

they are not closing either on

Alexey Poltoranin or Iivo Niskanen

or Alexander Bolshunov. Fourth and

fifth and sixth and seventh could be

all they get in that quarter.

That

shows how perfect the timing was

from Iivo Niskanen. The only thing

that has gone wrong, and may not

have been permanently wrong, what

Alexander Bolshunov could stay with

him and has now moved ahead because

of the pit stop. Iivo Niskanen 's

timing and the way he broke apart

the field has proved over the

ensuing almost one hour since he did

it, to have been a perfect decision

in terms of taking out, well, Dario

Cologna is already more than a

minute back in the Norwegian

challenge has completely disappeared

and show no sign of life and Alex

Harvey is wrapped up in that as well

and Alexey Chervotkin has also been

dropped by the chasing pack a long

time ago and only Bolshunov was able

to keep up with this man and a gap

is now down to six seconds and Iivo

Niskanen through a switch of skis is

now reeling back in the Russian and

we really are going to have an

amazing finish.

It could be very,

very exciting as they head towards

the business end of the race. All

credit to Iivo Niskanen, not just in

terms of the tactics of changing

skis, but also not folding mentally

after seeing the 21-year-old Russian

close down the huge lead that he had

worked so hard to generate.

Bolshunov is still in front of

course. Niskanen is trying to make

his way back up onto the shoulder of

the new leader and with every push

and every drive he is closing. The

gap is only now for seconds. Alexey

Poltoranin is miles behind, the

Kazakhstan is in third. This is

two-way battle for Olympic glory

here on the stunning tracks of

Pyeongchang.

You can see how the

conditions are deteriorating out on

the course as well, the Herald has

played such a huge part in this

whole Olympics. Every race that Hill

is been used to the advantage. Will

it be Bolshunov or Niskanen that has

enough left to use that hell as they

get closer and closer to it in the

final stages of this race?

I think

the dynamic between the two groups

their shows you for the very first

time that these two are tired. They

will not be caught by the chase

group who are over two minutes

behind but these two are tired,

mentally and physically. They are

almost a spent force but one of them

is going to find something here in

the very closing stages that will be

remembered forever. Alexander

Bolshunov, the 21-year-old from

Russia, has skied a brilliant

tactical race. He has not gone with

the early pace of Enniskillen and he

worked his way back here to the

Flying Finn who now taxes every move

and talk about history, has no Finn

has won this title since 1960. The

weight of history is on Evo Niskanen

shoulders and a nation will be

tuning in life to watch their young

hero from back home. He is quite a

character Antico owns a racehorse

and his sister is an Olympic

medallist and Iivo Niskanen himself

took the gold in the team sprint but

this is different and this gold

would be his and his alone and it

would be an amazing slice of Winter

Olympic history of something that

has not been done by a Finn in

almost 50 years.

They're behind,

that front duo, we have potentially

a bronze medallist in there

somewhere. You will note that we

have no Alexey Poltoranin in that

shot. It looks like it is now a

straight four way battle between

Sundby in for. Alex Harvey, Andrey

Larkov and Hans Christer Holund.

Somewhere in that is your bronze

medallist and here are your gold and

silver medallists. It is just a case

of which way it will be. Wearing

eight, Iivo Niskanen, a man whose

life's work and even the last four

years work has been to get this

Olympic gold. None of the other

Olympic golds, this Olympic gold. In

front of him at 21-year-old in

Alexander Bolshunov who has a whole

career out of him but has exploded

onto the scene at this Olympics with

a series of impressive performances

and he is

and he is already home with three

medals, but none of them are gold.

One of these two will win an Olympic

title for the first time in their

career and we are just about to find

out who.

If you have never watched

cross-country skiing before it does

not matter. What is there not to

admire about two young men putting

years and years of their life on the

line for a chance to make history?

Iivo Niskanen has blown this entire

field apart. He has been so gutsy

and Zoe Ball C and determined that

this slice of history is his but he

has not been able to get rid of the

maroon shadow who we can just about

see in these gloomy conditions in

Pyeongchang, Alexander Bolshunov,

three times he has been on the

podium here in Pyeongchang but this

is one that he wants. He has a

chance, the 21 year but it is just

too close to call at the moment and

will it come down to that massive

hill for the finish? These other

four men battling for the bronze,

with Andrey Larkov leading at the

moment and Sundby tucked in behind

him.

These four are coming through.

Sundby will not have his individual

Olympic title. We watch now.

Niskanen pulling away. He has that

team sprint from four years ago. He

wants an Olympic gold for himself on

his own. He's going now.

This is so

gutsy from Iivo Niskanen. But that's

how he skied this entire race. He

went to the front, right at the

start and after seeing his lead

erode, after changing skis, he's

maintained his focus and his

tactical composure. He's gone early

here. He's gone hard.

here. He's gone hard.

The Olympic

Athletes from Russia Alexander

Bolshunov is slipping a bit.

He's

trying to hold on. He got the

individual wro bronze in the sprint.

He's quick. But this man is being

driven on by a nation and by the

weight of history. No Finn has taken

this title in over half a century.

He's broken Bolshunov. Bolshunov

sits up. He knows he has been beaten

in this battle for the gold medal.

You don't often see an athlete

giving way like that. I think it

shows you just how much it had taken

out of Bolshunov to close that gap

in the first place.

We see Niskanen

moving up this hill. We this might

be where Bolshunov would be broken.

Bolshunov behind him now renews the

attack. The gap is there now.

Niskanen accelerated. As Rob says,

so unusual to see an athlete simply

say, I can't match that. That is it.

After 48 kilometers I have not got

what it takes to stay with that man.

Niskanen goes up this hill for a

final time at this Olympic Games.

Take as look behind him. Now the

dissent into the the arena towards a

gold medal.

Niskanen takes that

sharp left hander. Takes it

carefully. Wants to stay on his

feet. Wants to saviour the moment of

a lifetime. He took a gold in the

Team Sprint four years ago. Before

these Games began, he said - this is

the title that every Winter Olympic

cross-country skier wants. This is

the event that's been in the Winter

Olympic programme since 1924. That's

why they've got the flags with his

face on it. This will be massive for

Finnish sport. An absolutely superb

performance from the Flying Finn.

Iivo Niskanen pulling away from

Bolshunov. He had the heart, the

desire and mental strength and self

belief to pull away from a huge

field before halfway. Despite

Bolshunov putting him under pressure

it will be Iivo Niskanen's day. The

crowning moment of a glittering

career so far. He's orchestrating

the crowd over 50 years of history.

Finally, a Finn is back on top in

this most gruelling of vents. Iivo

Niskanen writes his name in the

all-time Winter Olympic greats in

this event. All credit to Alexander

Bolshunov, he is absolutely

shattered. He looks disappointed. He

was the only man in the entire field

who could do anything to put

Niskanen under pressure. There's no

disgrace with yet another silver for

him because it's all gold for

Niskanen.

We cut back now to our

race for the bronze medal, led by

Larkov. We will see in just a few

seconds' time how that turns out. We

take another look back at Niskanen.

Niskanen owned this entire race.

Niskanen delivered absolutely

everything that has made this race a

spectacle. He deserves that gold.

It's an incredible victory for him.

Larkov on the sprint. Sundby trying

to match him. Harvey out of it on

the right. Holund too far back.

Between Sundby and Larkov. Sundby on

the inside line. It looks like

Larkov has too much. Larkov will

reach the top of this hill in first

place. Is this going to decide this

battle for bronze between these

four? Will Larkov join Bolshunov on

the podium? It's looking like it

now.

That was an unbelievable piece

of acceleration up that brutal

incline. Even the great Sundby, who

has taken two gold medals here in

Pyeonchang could not respond.

Niskanen takes the glory, Bolshunov

the silver. It looks like we will

have another Olympic Athletes from

Russia on the podium. On this last

day of action for the men, it looks

as though, for the first time, we

don't have a Norwegian on the

podium. They have given it

everything, Sundby and Harvey of

Canada, who has had a fine

glittering career for the Canadians.

Not a met medal for him after years

of trying. Another Olympic Athletes

from Russia, it will be a bronze

medal for Andrey Larkov to go

alongside his Relay Silver. For all

the publicised reasons the Russians

turned to young athletes. That is

the sprint between Harvey and Sunday

sun. That is a sprint for fourth.

Doesn't that show you how much they

give to this sport and how much they

still care. Harvey took it from

Sundby by a whisker. A very tired

Holund comes across the line.

Larkov

is proud of that bronze. Bolshunov

still coming to terms with silver.

It's gold, a glorious gold for Iivo

Niskanen.

It's gold, a glorious gold for Iivo

Niskanen.

To a brand new Olympic

event, and it's the mass

start speed skating.

South Korea have two

real medal chances here,

so it's likely to be a brilliant

atmosphere in the Ganeung Oval.

Talking us through this one are

Simon Brotherton and Wilf O'Reilly.

COMMENTATOR: We are getting ready

for the women's mass start final. 16

skaters on the track here going for

gold.

Irene Schouten from the Netherlands.

Claudia Pechstein here as well. Nana

Takagi from Japan has a gold medal

in the Team Pursuit. Heather Bergsma

from the United States. The Olympic

final. The women's mass start. The

inaugural mass start final.

inaugural mass start final. The

world number one ranked skater at

the front. Based over three World

Cups at the moment. They have to

remain behind her for this first lap

of 16 laps. There are three sprints.

The winner of each sprint gets five

points, the second place gets three

points and the third place gets one

point. It's all about the skaters

that cross the line first, second

and third. The winner there gets 60

points, second, 40 points. Third, 20

points. The race is really on now.

Is she is going around the outside.

She is getting the racing animated

very early here.

It doesn't look

like anybody is going after her.

This could be very interesting

indeed.

indeed.

It's Saskia Alusalu.

Everyone looks at each other and

says, I will not chase. Then none

do. While they hesitate the person

who escaped gains considerable

ground which is exactly what Saskia

Alusalu is doing at the moment. They

are only coming round now. It's

almost a length of the straight.

First time the event has taken part

in the Olympic Games. I'm not sure

everybody knows what is happening.

If they allow her to get almost a

complete lap, I think it will be

very... It will be like in sigh

cycling, the second group would have

to work very hard to get that back

up eventually to close the gap.

There's about 200 meters difference

at the moment.

She is skating really

well here the 23-year-old. Her first

ever event at the Olympic Games.

Tenth in the world championship in

2015. 11th in the recent European

Championship. The first one to get

points on the board here in this

final of the mass sprint with 12

lapse to go. A quarter of the way

through it second over the line was

Li Dan. Third over the line will get

one point. The chase is on. As you

can see.

Even though there has been

five points awarded, it won't have

any effect on the final sprint,

there's still there. If we look at

the lap board. There are 11 laps to

go. Some considerable way to skate.

A lot of looking around. That is

among the main pack here. They are

carving out their way at the front,

Saskia Alusalu. The red, blue and

white of the Czech Republic there.

Keri Morrison just momentarily

nudging the Dutch woman who was just

in front of her there. Irene

Schouten the former world champion.

This is Annouk van der Weijden.

Claudia Pechstein from Germany was

second in line there. 46 now in the

autumn of her career. Nine Olympic

medals to her name. This is the

front of the race. Estonia.

That is

right.

Look at that. She is half a

lap ahead.

Still half a lap ahead.

She will have ten points. We know

it's quite important she doesn't win

the third sprint she would have 15

points. Still that would only

guarantee her fourth place.

She will

be time trialing her way around the

track here now as Li Dan leads the

chase, still with the leader coming

into the finish here now to scoop up

maximum points, once more. Roughly

half a lap advantage over the rest

of the field. Halfway through the

race, Saskia Alusalu has taken

maximum points. Here comes the

chase. Who will take three points.

It's Li Dan from China. Luiza

Zlotkowska gets a point as well.

Number 16.

Very important Simon that

now the speed of the remaining

chasing group keeps going. If they

now back off again, allow this

skater from Estonia to go through.

She could be in danger of going

away.

She might. I imagine she is

surprised to have gained the

advantage she has and be at the

front this deep into the race here.

All she can do is press on now.

Absolutely. Pechstein on the front

of this group here. Not really

putting any sort of speed into it at

all. They need to be very, very

careful indeed. There are still six

laps to go. It's still a

considerable way.

Just tucked in is

Heather Bergsma, Number Ten from the

USA. Tucked in behind her

compatriot, Manganello.

We could

have a surprise gold medallists.

Wouldn't it be amazing. They aren't

really going for it. Nobody is

taking responsibility here. Nobody

wants to do the lion's share of the

work.

Most of the countries have two

skaters. The skater from Estonia is

out there alone.

Well, she is

certainly going to take up the

points for the third time in a row

as Maryna Zuyeva from Belarus Russ

has had enough and will lead the

chase. The race is really on, at

last. The Netherlands is right

behind her. The gap, as you can see,

closing down already, but three

quarters of the way through it

another five points. She is up to 15

now, Saskia Alusalu.

They are starting to close in. Of

course it does take a lot of energy

to do that. Now the race is really

on now.

Manganello of the USA really

closing down with what is it just

about three laps to go.

As they come

to the three laps to go mark Alusalu

is about to be overtaken here. The

junction will be made. Manganello

leading the chase here. The

American. Here they come. Up towards

Alusalu. Also Schouten is well up

there for the Netherlands as well,

at the front of the race. This is a

powerful turn on the front by

Manganello. Bergsma from the United

States is in this race as well. It's

splitting up now. Manganello, strong

and powerful. Leading the way.

Looking very comfortable in second

place is Schouten from the

Netherlands.

Very comfortable. She

has been really going through the

turns with two arms up her back.

She's conserving a lot of energy

there. The ideal position, number

two at the moment.

two at the moment.

I The world

champion is in there for Korea. Kim

Bo-Reum is in a fine position now.

In third place is Irene Schouten.

The 2015 world champion, strides for

home. Nana Takagi is in second

place. On her shoulder is Number

Eleven, Kim Bo-Reum the world

champion from Korea. Italy can't

hold the piece pace of the three in

the front. Into the finishing

straight. The sprint is on. Nana

Takagi from Japan will get it.

Takagi on the line. Takagi take it

is for Japan. Kim Bo-Reum finishes I

think in second place. It's a photo

between Kim Bo-Reum and Irene

Schouten of the Netherlands. Nana

Takagi has her second gold of the

Games. What a spectacular sprint for

the line that was.

the line that was. Takagi from Japan

is the gold medallists. Kim Bo-Reum

from Korea takes the silver. Irene

Schouten from the Netherlands with

the bronze.

The speed that these

girls can finish with, it's amazing.

You saw there, Irene Schouten really

having a long sprint. She started

with about 250, 300 meters to go.

You can see Takagi, as they come

into the final 100 meters, makes a

small slip there.

That cost her,

didn't it?

Yep. Takagi I think was

in the best place there.

More than a

lap to go. She was right behind

Schouten. Confirmation then of the

result.

There we go with the last Olympic

final in the speed skating in the

Ganeung Oval. What a final it pros

promises to be the inall August

rallying mass start. The Olympic

title up for grabs. Will it go to a

sprinter here at the end of this

race. Linus Heidegger will lead them

out and Andrea Giovannini from

Italy, third in line.

None of the

other skaters in this first lap of

the 16 laps are allowed to pass the

Austrian, Heidegger. This helps to

set an order and helps the race to

settle down rather than being a mad

scramble from the gun? That's

correct. Looking at the two

semi-finals to come into the final.

If there is a skater who can go to

the front and stay there all day you

would

would think it would be Sven Kramer.

If it comes to the wire he doesn't

have the fire power to kick in.

He

will need to go for a long one,

isn't he, Kramer?

Yes. What

impressed me with Bart Swings coming

from in-line skating, multiple world

champion she was impressive in the

semi-finals.

He did.

Two Dutchmen there. Kramer on the

front.

Some of the countries have

two skaters. The Netherlands have

two skaters.

Korea.

Korea have two

skaters. There could be a bit of

team tactics as well.

Mikhailau

decides he's had enough of that and

looking at each other. Moved to the

front for the bell for the first

lap. 400 meters to the first points

on the line. Linus Heidegger from

Austria has gone with him.

Austria has gone with him.

They get

five points for these sprints.

Because the third placed skater gets

20 points. Sometimes they allow the

leading group, as we can see, to get

away.

away.

The points in the order of

five, three and one. It quickly

opened up a gap for them. On the

front of the main field it looks to

me as if that is Chung Jaewon.

Kramer third in line.

Kramer third in line. Peter Michael.

The Koreans may be talking about

team helping their team, team

skating. Chung is on the front. He's

not allowing the other three skaters

to skate away.

For Korea you would

think Lee Seung-Hoon would be their

big threat. The leading trio to be

overtaken. Wenger could sense the

dangeror. The danger provided by

Thorup. 13th in the world.

Championship last year, from

Denmark, Viktor Hald Thorup. He has

an eye on this sprint and taking the

sting from some of the legs out

there.

Sven Kramer will like this.

If the pace is quick all the way. It

will be really fatiguing some of the

sprinters.

The sort of race that

Sven Kramer would be hoping for.

Guam gap back to Mikhailau from

Belarus.

Mikhailau, bringing them round. That

looks like Linus Heidegger from

Austria still at the front of the

main pack, in second place. Here we

are at the front of the race.

Thorup from Denmark the instigator

of the attack.

Five points awarded

to him, of course. I think third was

there.

Heidegger.

Heidegger.

Thorup,

Wenger and Heidegger. Five, three

and one.

Interesting now what will

happen. Chung from Korea on that

second group.

Chung with Bart Swings

tucked in behind him from Belgium.

Michael there with number two on his

helmet. Then we have Stefan Due

Schmidt second Dane. Kramer is a

long way back.

long way back.

Olivier Jean back.

Coming from short track, good

sprinter. He would be somebody that

we have to keep an eye on.

Keeping

his powder dry towards the end. The

leading duo cross the line. The

advantage is far from an

insurmountable one. We have half a

dozen lapse to go here. This is the

chase group. There is Kramer. A long

way back in the line. I tell you who

else we haven't seen much, number

16, Joey Mantia of the United

States, the world champion. He's in

the main field keeping his powder

dry at the moment. One lap to go

until the next intermediat sprint.

This race is disappearing rapidly.

Chung has done an awful lot of work

on the front. Really it seems to be

clear the Koreans are setting it up

for Lee of Korea.

Mantia the world

champion tucked in behind Contin of

France. Wenger ahead of Thorup. Five

and three for those two. Third over

the line is Chung Jaewon from Korea.

We are into the last four lapse of

this race now. As you can see, the

race is really on. Chung Jaewon at

the front. Sven Kramer starts to

stretch his legs on the front.

Opening it up. Kramer is taking this

race on. The only way I think he

knows how.

That's right.

He needs to throw the gauntlet down

having a look at the lap board. How

many laps to go. Closing the gap

considerably. The Koreans go after A

frightening thought him.

For the

rest of the field. Especially the

sprinters.

He could draw this one out. Has he

got a long sprint and a long

purposeful effort here that just

blunt the speed of the real fast men

here in this race? Kramer now at the

front of the race with two laps to

go. The chase is on. The Dutchman

leads, down the back straight.

Bart

Swings moving around the outside.

Lee of Korea tucked in behind him.

Lee has got himself in a good

position here. The Korean. They take

the bell. Kramer overtaken. Swings

goes to the front. Lee Seung-Hoon

from Korea, Verweij for the

Netherlands.

They grit their teeth down the back

straight they go. Hitting the front

now is Lee Seung-Hoon for Korea.

He's got his eye on gold. He comes

round the bend for the last time.

The sprint for the line here. It's

going to be a home win. The first

Olympic champion in the mass sprint

is a Korean. It's Lee Seung-Hoon the

2016 world champion. The World Cup

number one is now the Olympic

champion. Lee Seung-Hoon takes the

gold gold. Bart Swings of Belgium

wins the silver. Koen Verweij of the

Netherlands takes the bronze.

Again,

that is excitement. This event has

really opened this, the medal tally.

Sven Kramer really set the race up

for Koen Verweij. Early sprint, but

Lee here of Korea has taken the

gold. His team-mate there, you can

see him, it was all set up for this

lad to win the gold medal.

What a

tremendous amount of work his

compatriot did for him there. Good

to see. It's being acknowledged. The

16-year-old, what a work horse.

Let

us look at it. The final lap again.

Kramer had done his bit on the front

to draw the race out. Swings found

himself in a good position at the

front. All the way through you are

looking at the Korean right behind

him thinking, he is exactly where he

wants to be.

You can see him coming

down the last 100 meters there. The

accelerating speed power. What they

learnt really has children, in short

track, you see it there. Really

hugging the tightness of that bend.

Hip completely in. Verweij in third

place, really struggling. As he

comes down to the final ten meters.

As he skates across the line.

Really

close. Swings almost got it on the

line, not quite. Didn't quite have

that finishing burst.

Confirmation of the results. The

final gold medal of the games in

speed skating going to Lee

Seung-Hoon of Korea ahead of Bart

Swings from Belgium with Koen

Verweij of the Netherlands taking

the bronze.

Thanks so much for joining us here

on BBC Four over the last 15 days.

I'll be back tonight

on BBC One at 11.55pm

with live coverage of

the Women's Curling final.