Boe, Braisaz-Bouchet handle bad conditions, win golds

The penalty loops piled up as the wind wreaked havoc on the biathlon course. The two that handled it best — with the sharpest shooting and the fastest skiing — were rewarded with Olympic gold medals.

Johannes Thingnes Boe became only the second man to win four gold medals at a single Winter Games, joining Norwegian great Ole Einar Bjorndalen, by fi nishing fi rst in the mass start race on Friday.

Justine Braisaz-Bouchet of France won the women’s race, earning her second Olympic medal but fi rst of the Beijing Games. Clean shooting through the four stops on the range was the key in both races for all of the medalists.

Both Boe and BraisazBouchet missed only four targets in their victories, while many others were forced to take five, seven or even 10 penalty loops in the cross-country skiing part of the event. Boe’s gold was his fi fth medal of the Beijing Games.

He also won gold in two relays and in the 10-kilometer sprint. He earned bronze in the 20-kilometer individual.

Nigerian sprinter banned for 10 years for doping
Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare received a 10-year ban for being part of an “organized doping regimen” ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, the Athletics Integrity Unit said Friday. The former world championships silver medalist was initially suspended in July just before she was due to run in the semifi nals of the 100 meters at the Olympics.