Despite doping saga, Turin lived the dream
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-27 10:38

On the last day, Italian cross-country skier Giorgio di Centa gave the hosts the perfect finale to the two-week sporting extravaganza by winning the final cross-country skiing event.

And Sweden clinched the last gold medal up for grabs by edging Finland 3-2 in the ice hockey final.

Speed skating produced another home hero, Enrico Fabris who became the first Italian man to win three medals at one Games.

It also saw Shani Davis, from the south side of Chicago, become the first black to win an individual winter gold, taking the 1,000 meters speedskating title and adding a silver in the 1,500 while openly feuding with team mate Chad Hedrick.

Frenchman Antoine Deneriaz rocketed down Sestriere's Kandahar piste to take the men's Alpine skiing downhill, the showcase race of the Games, and drink the champagne he had already put on ice.

Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister was unbeatable in the women's speed races while Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt and Croatia's Janica Kostelic became the first Alpine skiers to win four Olympic golds.

Japan's Shizuka Arakawa captured Japan's first figure skating gold after favorite Irina Slutskaya, aiming to complete a Russian sweep of all four titles, tumbled and managed only bronze behind American Sasha Cohen, who also stumbled.

"It's one night, four minutes and a piece of metal," Cohen said, playing down her faux pas.

Russian Yevgeny Plushenko etched his name alongside the greats by obliterating his rivals in the men's figure skating.

Chinese figure skaters Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao collected only silver, but for sheer courage theirs was a gold medal performance.

Expected to challenge Russia's Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin for pairs gold, their hopes were dashed just 38 seconds into the routine when Zhang Dan crashed to the ice and slammed into the barriers.

She did not give up. Dazed and in pain, she was helped to her feet and five minutes later picked up the routine.