Sports News

Eirik Verås Larsen paddled his way to the Norway's first gold medal of the 2012 London Olympics in the K1 1,0000 metre race on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old Norwegian claimed the fourth Olympic medal of his career after a dominant performance. When he rose up from the kayak, it was with a broad grin on his face.
 
"It's indescribable. Now I can retire with a clear conscience," he told NRK.
 
"I don't think it was going to happen. It has been a tough two years. To do this is fantastic."
 
Verås Larsen got a better start than expected and was at the front the whole way. Canadian Adam van Koeverden appeared the strongest for a while, but the Norwegian cam back strong in the final 250 metres.
 
The paddler from Flekkefjord crossed the line seven tenths of a second ahead of Van Koeverden, who ended up with silver. Bronze went to German Max Hoff.
 
The gold was Verås Larsen's second in the Olympic Games after winning the 1000-metre in Athens in 2004. In Beijing he claimed silver in the same distance and has taken a further bronze in the K2 1,000 metre event together with Nils Olav Fjeldheim in Athens
 
Team manager Jarle Aambø was rendered speechless by the veteran's second Olympic triumph.
 
"I am still a little shaky. My God what an incredible performer. I am speechless," Aambø said to NTB.

NTB/

Norwegian world swimming champion Alexander Dale Oen has died aged 26 at a training camp in the United States, Norway's swim federation announced on Tuesday.

Saturday's "Skarverennet", the annual cross country ski-touring race with 12,220 participants in the Hallingskarvet mountains is often said to mark the end of the skiing season in Norway.

 

Norway has been ranked 8th among the world's best sports nations by the German magazine Sport Bild, Europe's biggest sports magazine with a circulation of almost half a million.

In the 7th round of the World Curling Championship in Basel, Switzerland, Norway's men defeated Czechia 6-4. Norway has now won three matches and lost two.

Norwegian Adapta Ford driver Mads Østberg was handed the win of Rally of Portugal, after Finnish driver Mikko Hirvonen late Sunday evening was excluded from the rally.

Norway's women defeated Bulgaria 3-0 away on Saturday, in an important qualifier for the European Championship.

Norwegian biker Alexander Kristoff, riding for Katujusha, won Thursday's stage 3a in the Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde race, his first win as professional biker.

A marathon runner and hopeful for the London 2012 Olympics has turning to some unusual training techniques because of the Norwegian winters. Urige Buta came to Norway in 2003 as an Ethiopian Refugee, becoming a Norwegian citizen last year.

The Ski Flying World Championships 2012 opens at Vikersund, Norway, today, Thursday February 23rd.

Want some real excitement and fun?!. Visit the Vikersund Hill on the week-end of February 22nd and watch the world's longest ski-jumps.

Emil Hegle Svendsen could claim his and Norway’s first win of the Holmenkollen Biathlon World Cup meeting at the last possible opportunity in the men's 15 kilometre mass start on Sunday.