YOG: Wonders Top 10 in Youth Olympics

LILLEHAMMER, Norway (Feb. 18, 2016) – Hunter Wonders (Anchorage, AK) led the USA in the third competition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games on Thursday, finishing eighth overall in a 10k freestyle race. Hannah Halvorsen (Truckee, CA) was in the top 20 in the women’s 5k freestyle race, finishing 17th overall.

In the women’s race, Russia’s Maya Yakunina dominated the 5k race in Lillehammer's Birkebeineren Cross-Country Stadium by 31.1 seconds over China’s Chunxue Chi and Finland’s Rebecca Immonen who finished third. Halvorsen had a solid result, placing in the top 20, only 19 seconds out of a top 10 spot.

In the men’s race, Korea’s Magnus Kim claimed his second Youth Olympic Games victory, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Norway’s Vebjoern Hegdal and Russia’s Igor Fedotov.

Wonders had a strong 10k finishing in the top 10, nearly grabbing seventh from Finland’s Remi Lindholm, but Lindholm held a .2 second lead on Wonders to steal seventh.

Only the nordic relay is left for cross country skiing, which includes one male cross country skier, one female cross country skier, one male ski jumper, one female ski jumper and one male nordic combined athlete.

HIGHLIGHTS

• It was Korea’s Magnus Kim’s third podium of the Youth Olympic Games. He has had two gold medals and one silver.
• The men had to ski two laps of the 5k course for their 10k race.
• Youth Olympic Games events will be streamed live on youtube.com/Olympics.
• The final cross country skiing event in the YOG is the nordic relay, which includes one male cross country skier, one female cross country skier, one male ski jumper, one female ski jumper and one male Nordic combined athlete.

RESULTS
Men’s 10k Freestyle
Women’s 5k Freestyle