Vancouver Olympics – Canada win final gold medal

Sidney Crosby’s extra-time goal secured hosts Canada the final gold medal of the Vancouver Olympics after a dramatic 3-2 win over the United States in the men’s ice hockey yesterday.



The gold medal was Canada’s 14th of the Olympics, a record, and fittingly the milestone medal was the one many Canadians courted over all others.



For Canada, who last won the men’s gold in 2002, the win avenged the 5-3 defeat by the United States in their round robin match.



The win was an ice hockey double after the women’s team who beat the United States 2-0.



With the 14th gold, Canada topped the gold medal table ahead of Germany with 10 and the United States and Norway with nine each.



In the Cross Country’s 50-kilometre race, Norway’s Petter Northug produced a stunning finish to win gold.



Germany’s Axe Teichmann led entering the final stages of the race but, in a thrilling battle for the line, pre-race favourite Northug overhauled him over the last 100 metres.



Northug’s winning time was two hours, five minutes and 35.5 seconds, with Teichmann taking the silver 0.3 seconds back and the bronze going to Sweden’s Johan Olsson one second adrift.



It was Norway’s eighth gold of the Games.