Davos XC: Sweden, Russia tops in relay races

U.S. women finished 11th Sunday behind Sweden in a 4×5-kilometer World Cup relay race while the U.S. men’s team was 12th behind Russia in the 4×10 km race.
DAVOS, Switzerland — U.S. women finished 11th Sunday behind Sweden in a 4×5-kilometer World Cup relay race while the U.S. men’s team was 12th behind Russia in the 4×10 km race.
    Sweden won in 53 minutes, 51.6 seconds with the four Americans 11th with a time of 58:15.7. Kikkan Randall and Liz Stephen, who made her World Cup debut Saturday, were joined by two others skiing in their first World Cup race: Morgan Arritola and Taz Mannix.
    In the men’s race, Russia led a four-nation sprint to the finish before winning in 1:35.42.6, four-tenths of a second ahead of Italy. The U.S. foursome — Kris Freeman, Chris Cook, James Southam and Andrew Johnson — was 12th in 1:39.17.1.

Cross-Country World Cup results

Men
4×10 km classical-free relay

1. Russia (Ivan Babikov, Sergei Novikov, Ilia Chernousov, Sergei Shiriaev), 1 hour, 35 minutes, 42.6 seconds.
2. Italy (Valerio Checchi, Giorgio Di Centa, Fabio Santus, Pietro Piller Cottrer), 1:35:43.0.
3. France (Jean Marc Gaillard, Vincent Vittoz, Emmanuel Jonnier, Alexandre Rousselet), 1:35:43.1.
4. Czech Republic (Martin Koukal, Lukas Bauer, Jiri Magal, Milan Sperl), 1:35:43.3.
5. Norway I (Jens Arne Svartedal, Anders Aukland, Tore Ruud Hofstad, Petter Northug), 1:36.34.2.
6. Norway II (Roger Aa Djupvik, Geir Ludwig Aasen, Martin Sundby, Tord Asle Gjerdalen), 1:36:35.0.
7. Austria (Martin Tauber, Mikhail Botwinov, Juergen Pinter, Christian Hoffmann), 1:37:27.4.
8. Switzerland I (Reto Burgermeister, Curdin Perl, Toni Livers, Remo Fischer), 1:37:28.6.
9. Sweden (Mats Larsson, Mikael Ojala, Johan Olsson, Marcus Hellner), 1:37:30.5.
10. Switzerland II (Christian Stebler, Gion Andrea Bundi, Dario Cologna, Thomas Diezig), 1:37:37.3.

Women
4×5 km relay mixed style

1. Sweden (Lina Andersson, Anna Karin Stroemstedt, Charlotte Kalla, Britta Norgren), 53 minutes, 51.6 seconds.
2. Norway I (Astrid Jacobsen, Vibeke Skofterud, Kristin Stoermer Steira, Marit Bjoergen), 53:52.6
3. Finland (Pirjo Manninen, Aino Kaisa Saarinen, Kati Venaelaeinen, Riitta Liisa Roponen), 54:20.2.
4. Italy I (Antonella Confortola, Marianna Longa, Sabina Valbusa, Arianna Follis), 54:32.8.
5. Germany (Stefanie Boehler, Evi Sachenbacher Stehle, Katrin Zeller, Claudia Kuenzel-Nystad), 54:50.7.
6. Russia (Irina Artemova, Natalia Korosteleva, Olga Savialova, Evgenia Medvedeva), 55:05.1.
7. Italy II (Karin Moroder, Stephanie Santer, Magda Genuin, Marina Piller), 55:12.9.
8. Norway II (Therese Johaug, Kine Beate Bjoernaas, Betty-Ann Bjerkreim Nilsen, Kristin Muerer Stemland), 55:13.7.
9. Switzerland I (Seraina Mischol, Laurence Rochat, Natascia Leonardi Cortesi, Silvana Bucher), 56:48.8.
10. France (Carine Philippot, Elodie Bourgeois Pin, Coraline Hugue, Cecile Storti), 57:21.8.

Nations standings
Men and women
1. Norway, 5,953 points.
2. Russia, 3,957.
3. Germany, 3,799.
4. Finland, 3,493.
5. Sweden, 2,084.
6. Italy, 1,976.
7. Czech Republic, 1,686.
8. France, 1,283.
9. Switzerland, 791.
10. Slovenia, 677.

Click here for complete results.