16 Feb 2014

Germans still on top in Sochi

12:34 pm on 16 February 2014

Germany continue to lead the medal count at the Sochi Winter Olympics with seven golds and a total of 12 medals in all, ahead of Switzerland and Russia.

The Swiss have won five golds and seven medals overall, while Russia have four golds - the same as Canada, but one more silver and two more bronze medals.

Switzerland's Dario Cologna won his second gold medal in Sochi and underlined his supremacy in cross country skiing with a dominant performance in the men's 15-kilometre classic.

Cologna finished in 38 minutes and 29.7 seconds, a colossal 28.5 seconds ahead of his nearest challenger Johan Olsson of Sweden.

Daniel Richardsson, also of Sweden, won the bronze.

Cologna's gold is his second in Sochi after his win in the skiathlon that mixes both the classic and freestyle.

Swiss Sandro Viletta was the surprise winner of the men's super-combined Alpine skiing event, ahead of Croatia's Ivica Kostelic, who took silver, and Italy's Christof Innerhofer in bronze.

The event links slalom and downhill.

Darya Domracheva of Belarus won the Olympic women's biathlon 15-kilometre individual gold medal, Swiss Selina Gasparin took silver and Nadezhda Skardino, also of Belarus, won the bronze.

Alla Tsuper of Belarus shocked the favourites in her fifth Games by winning the women's aerials ski competition, her first medal coming after the 34-year-old was the only athlete to land perfectly in the final four shootout.

Tsuper's gold medal ensured this would be the most successful Winter Games in Belarus's history.

Great Britain won its first gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics, with Lizzy Yarnold claiming the gold in the women's skeleton.

And Yuzuru Hanyu has become the first Japanese man to win an Olympic figure skating gold, as the teenager also claimed Japan's first title of the 2014 Winter Games.